The Spearfish Center for the Arts and Humanities, known as Spearfish Arts Center, was created in 1997 by the merger of two community organizations to consolidate and strengthen the vision for the arts in the greater Spearfish area. The former Spearfish Area Council on the Arts and Humanities was a long-standing organization dedicated to supporting and offering arts and humanities programs in Spearfish and the surrounding area. The Matthews Opera House society was created in 1989 for the dual purpose of renovating, restoring and modernizing the Matthews Opera House. The official merger of these two arts groups resulted in the current organization, Spearfish Center for the Arts and Humanities, which is a 501C(3) legal entity that manages Matthews Opera House and retains the ninety-five year lease that is effective until 2086.