50 years, 50 stories: Ann Arbor Art Center

Where Community and Creativity Meet

For over a century, the Ann Arbor Art Center has been sparking creativity for people of all ages and abilities - through education, exploration, and exhibitions. As a contemporary forum for the visual arts, the Art Center provides studio classes and arts education for more than 2,600 students each year. Monthly exhibitions and the Center’s gallery shop on the first floor showcase the work of over 370 artists - 85% of whom are Michigan artists. In addition, collaborations with the University of Michigan Museum of Art, Washtenaw Community College and other community organizations bring creative experiences to audiences beyond the Center’s Liberty Street facility.

Over the years, the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation and its donors have provided more than $200,000 in grant support to help the Art Center grow - including support from two endowments at AAACF that benefit the Center. A $9,500 grant in 2010 helped the Art Center launch a new website that connects visitors to creative programming, exhibitions, and events. And a $17,700 grant in 2012 supported the organization’s recent transition to new leadership. In 2013, the Ann Arbor Art Center hosted more than 40,000 visitors - connecting more people than ever to the power of the visual arts in ways that engage minds, expand perspectives, and inspire growth.

One of the many ways the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation supports all that is good in our community.

Read more "good" stories at: aaacf.org/stories