In 2003 the congregation of the Hope United Methodist Church in Marshalltown, Iowa saw construction of a new lobby at the main entrance and a new sanctuary completed. During these renovations it was decided that the electric organ from the old sanctuary would not be installed into the new sanctuary. This decision was impacted by a number of points, including the costs of disassembling and reassembling the organ, the technology advancements since the original installation, and from the general inability to find qualified and willing technicians to tackle necessary repairs. The Hope United Methodist Church of Marshalltown, Iowa was going to seek a new pipe organ.

While a church committee sought viable replacements, it was soon discovered that the costs of a new organ were far more than the budget could handle, in fact replacing our electric organ with even a gently used organ from another church was going to be more expensive than we had funding for at the time. As luck would have it, a wonderful pipe organ became available soon after our search began. This organ too would need upgrades, including adding midi capabilities, additional electric stops, and a silent blower. Finding a way to cover these expenses, along with the costs of removal and transportation from the previous location and installation costs at our own location, would become the goal of the congregation.

In the course of securing this organ, we would need to raise additional monies that would allow us to bring our vision of a new organ to our church. It was out of this necessity that Saturday Arts in Marshalltown was created. A monthly showcase of national and local talent brought to Marshalltown to cultivate a love for the arts. Each event is held at the Hope United Methodist Church. Admission is free to every event, and any freewill donations made will be added to the fund to continue the purchase, upgrading, and installation of our new organ, and we are happily now seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.