Women Artists in Collaboration was created in 1985 at Brookings, South Dakota. It started out as a small group of women who had joined together when the Brookings Women's Center sponsored a presentation by women artists. Finding the collaboration stimulating, these women continued to work together. The group was made up of "whoever was willing to contribute" and changed from year to year. Friends of the Arts and the Brookings Women's Center provided funding for the group.