Crowdfunding campaign launched for ‘Bringing the Fine Craft Arts for Adrian Center for the Arts’ project

$25,000 goal to win matching grant through MEDC’s Public Spaces Community Places initiative

LANSING, Mich. – The cultural campus of the Adrian Center for the Arts will soon be home to three new studios that will bring the fine craft arts of glassblowing, metalsmithing-jewelry and sculpture to its creative footprint. This effort will be made possible through a new crowdfunding campaign, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) and Adrian Center for the Arts (ACA) announced today. The campaign is being offered through the Michigan-based crowdfunding platform Patronicity.

If the campaign reaches its crowdfunding goal of $25,000 by December 20, the project will win a matching grant with funds made possible by MEDC’s Public Spaces Community Places program. For project details and to donate, please visit: patronicity.com/aca.

“These new spaces within the Adrian Center for the Arts will enhance the public use of the campus and bring cultural offerings to the greater community,” said MEDC Senior Vice President of Community Development Michele Wildman. “We are pleased to support and provide resources for this project through our Public Spaces Community Places program.”

The ACA, situated on property that formerly housed the Adrian Girls Training School, is part of the redevelopment of this 55-acre campus which sat untouched since the closing of the school in 2009. The property is now owned by PlaneWave Instruments, a world leader in educational and government telescope production. The property is being developed with a unique “arts meets science” partnership in mind with ACA, and at the root of this effort is to bring the public onto a beautiful campus setting that has gone unexplored in our community for many years.

The ACA is a nonprofit organization supporting and promoting the visual arts with its own governing board. This project will create artist studio space, classrooms and a gallery, public classes, experiences and exhibits, and monthly invitations to the general public to attend gallery and art demonstrations at no charge.

"The Adrian Center for the Arts is very excited about the opportunities that the addition of glassblowing, metalsmithing/jewelry and sculpture bring to the community," said Executive Director of the Adrian Center for the Arts (ACA) Lisa Neuman.

"We look forward to having additional activity and visitors on campus, and are committed to the greater Lenawee community to continue to champion the visual arts,” said ACA Board President Kris Schmidt. “Hopefully people of all ages and abilities will take advantage of being able to learn, create, and grow in these new mediums as well as the other six mediums the ACA supports.”

Public Spaces Community Places is a collaborative effort of the MEDC, the Michigan Municipal League, and Patronicity, in which local residents can use crowdfunding to be part of the development of strategic projects in their communities and be backed with a matching grant from MEDC. Communities, nonprofits and other business entities can apply at https://patronicity.com/puremichigan.

“The Michigan Municipal League is a firm believer in building community wealth in ways that build on existing assets and enhance the human experience for everyone,” said Michigan Municipal League CEO and Executive Director Dan Gilmartin. “The three new proposed studios in the Adrian Center for the Arts do both. This effort will create spaces that will attract people and become a source of pride for years to come. That is what community wealth building is about.”

The Public Spaces Community Places initiative started in 2014 with MEDC providing matched funding of up to $50,000 for community improvement projects throughout Michigan. As of Oct. 5, 2021, MEDC has provided more than $9.3 million in matching grants. Since the launch of the program, 294 projects have been successful in reaching their goal, with $10.8 million raised from 50,626 individual donors. Communities have a 97 percent success rate in achieving their goals and earning our matching funds.

About Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC)

The Michigan Economic Development Corporation is the state’s marketing arm and lead advocate for business development, job awareness and community development with the focus on growing Michigan’s economy. For more information on the MEDC and our initiatives, visit www.MichiganBusiness.org. For Pure Michigan® tourism information, your trip begins at www.michigan.org. Join the conversation on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn, and Twitter.