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SCAAC Is Becoming the Meyer Art Center

June 1, 2026

Introducing the Meyer Art Center, formerly the Stanwood Camano Arts Advocacy Commission.

This summer, the Stanwood Camano Arts Advocacy Commission (SCAAC) is officially changing its name to the Meyer Art Center. We're deeply grateful for your support of SCAAC over the years, and we hope you'll continue with us as part of the Meyer Art Center family.

Executive Director Jason Dorsey shares the story behind the change.

Where SCAAC began

In 2018, Jason was leading a grassroots group with a dream: to work together to promote Stanwood-Camano as a center and destination for art. The group also dreamed of a building that would be the heart and hub of the area's artists, galleries and art organizations.

The group needed a name, and chose a descriptive one:

  • Stanwood-Camano: the place we love, work and call home
  • Arts: because art is valuable to, and impactful for, a flourishing community
  • Advocacy: because we wanted to collaborate to champion the importance of art
  • Commission: because we were a grassroots group that valued working together

The full name was a mouthful, so it was shortened to SCAAC.

A gift that changed everything

A couple of years later, what had seemed like an impossible dream became reality. A generous local family with roots in developing West Stanwood made a transformative gift to SCAAC: the furniture store across from Twin City Foods, $3 million in capital for a future building, and a $2 million operations endowment.

That gift from the Meyer family propelled SCAAC to organize quickly as a 501(c)(3), with Jason as board chair. To honor the family whose generosity made the dream possible, the board chose to name the new art center after them: the Meyer Art Center.

What's changing

Starting this summer, SCAAC is officially changing its name and brand to the Meyer Art Center. The nonprofit will legally remain the Stanwood Camano Arts Advocacy Commission, doing business as the Meyer Art Center.

We hope to break ground on the new art center building in fall 2026, and we can't wait to watch the building designed by Olson Kundig come to life. The Meyer Art Center will be a place of community, creativity and connection.

Thank you for your support. We invite you to join us on this Epic Art Adventure with the Meyer Art Center family!

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Make a Donation Today.

The Meyer Art Center is being built by this community, for everyone. Your gift — at any level — helps make it real.