The Black Hawk Artists were founded in 1972 by a group of 12 women. The groups mission continues to this day. The artwork has changed over the years into a much more diverse set of media, subject matter and level of sophistication. The group meets once a month for 42 years to critique each other's work and to plan their annual show. Each year the Black Hawk Artists challenge each other to illustrate a particular theme for their show as well as producing at least three new works for exhibit.