The Eau Claire Regional Arts Council (ECRAC) was formed in 1982. At the time of its conception, there were four different community theater groups within a thirty-mile radius of Eau Claire. Understanding that the area would benefit from an organization that would be the collective voice for representing and advocating for the arts, ECRAC was created.

Shortly after the creation, ECRAC acquired the deed of the historic State Theater in downtown Eau Claire. The State Theater opened in 1926, as a vaudeville theater (WPT Presents: History of Eau Claire's State Theatre, 2012:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmYNE-400Pw&t=23s). With the rise of motion pictures and the fall of vaudeville, the place ended up converting to a movie theater. This theater closed in the early 1980s, and the building sat unused until the owners contacted ECRAC.

A variety of committees were formed in ECRAC, with each focusing on different sectors of the organization. Some of the most influential committees included advocacy, educational, and building. Through these committees, ECRAC was able to push for more arts in local schools, create an annual arts award program for the community, lobby the government on arts related issues, and restore the State Theater to a performing arts center.

Once the theater was reopened, ECRAC used it as its central hub. The theater itself became self-supporting within a short amount of time and became an integral part of the community. Along with local theater organizations, touring shows were brought in to the venue to perform.

In the mid 2000s, the State Theater again started to go into disrepair. It was determined that the cost of restoring it again was not worth the venture (Confluence Center is Coming Together, 2018). Thus, the Confluence Center project was unveiled to replace it. The project consisted of transforming part of downtown into a new space for people to use, with a new theater, apartments, and a large paved space by the river to enjoy the scenery. After years of funding and building, the Pablo Confluence Center was built just a few blocks away from the State Theater. ECRAC merged with the new Confluence Council, to help continue with the growth of the arts in Eau Claire.