The Jamaica Plain Arts Council (JPAC) was incorporated in 1984 as a non-profit 501 (c) (3) organization to create a multicultural arts center in the community of Jamaica Plain. The Jamaica Plain Multicultural Arts Center opened in 1987 and due to funding and business partnership challenges closed in the mid-1990's. During the planning stages for the Arts Center, a group of artists in the Amory Street building set aside one weekend in the fall to invite the public into their studio spaces to see their work and tour their studios. The group coordinated with the Jamaica Plain Arts Council and in 1993, Jamaica Plain Open Studios became a community wide event coordinated through the Jamaica Plain Arts Council. When the Arts Center closed, the Jamaica Plain Arts Council remained to organize, oversee, and coordinate Jamaica Plain Open Studios. Jamaica Plain Open Studios (JPOS) has been an annual weekend-long celebration of the arts that provides an opportunity for Jamaica Plain artists to show and sell their work for the past seventeen years. Because of the growth and complexity of the event, and because a major source of financial support expired in 2005, a committee was convened to develop a strategic plan for JPOS that would clarify an overall vision of the JPOS event as well as address issues of governance, staffing, fundraising, and marketing. This committee transitioned, with the vote of the membership into the Jamaica Plain Arts Council (JPAC) Board of Directors in 2005 As one of the oldest Open Studios programs in New England, JPOS continues to expand and promote artists to new audiences every year. JPOS is a fun and unique way for the public to meet the artists, see where art work is created, explore the wealth of interesting neighborhoods in JP and purchase wonderful works of art. JPAC Board: Brian Bishop Gail Bos (Vice President) Anne Brown (Treasurer) Joy Cochran (co-President, Organization Chair) Thomas Durand (Juried Show Chair) Rob Festa Matt McKee (co-President) Kate Moss Shawn Provencher Robin Radin (Local Ad Sales Chair) Bill Shamlian The mission of the Jamaica Plain Arts Council is to support artists in the Jamaica Plain community through the Open Studios event, exhibitions, professional development and cultivating an audience