Creative Washtenaw Aid has assisted more than
90 artists, creative workers and businesses impacted by the pandemic.
90 artists, creative workers and businesses impacted by the pandemic.
Aid requests continue to pour in, rising as cases rise. Please make a gift to aid the organizations and people who are here for us year after year, enriching our lives and opening our hearts and minds through art and creativity.
Creative Washtenaw Happy Hour #29 Salt Springs Brewery in Saline
May 25, 2022 4:30 - 6 p.m.
CWHH is our monthly meet up with Washtenaw County artists and creative workers – some are regulars and others drop in when they can make it.
Check out the pictures taken from our last Happy Hour at CultureVerse!! We had so much fun and hope to see many of you next time! Check our social media pages for the next location of May's CWHH!
Welcome, WAABEL Start-Up Studio!
WAABEL Start-Up Studio, located in Ann Arbor, is a supportive ecosystem for artists and writers to advance business, brand and purpose. WAABEL offers consulting services, artists-in-residence guides, a membership-based community and access to digital platforms.
Welcome Back, Cathryn Amidei!
Cathryn Amidei holds an MFA in Textiles from Eastern Michigan University. She was Associate Professor there until 2018. She lived in Norway for a year working with the company that manufactures the loom (the TC2) that she uses to make her art and currently represents them for users in the U.S. She has traveled extensively installing, training, teaching and supporting TC2 users. She is the Director of the Digital Weaving Lab at Praxis Fiber Workshop in Cleveland, Ohio. She is self-represented and has exhibited in the Unites States and abroad and will undertake commissions. Cathryn shows her work at WSG gallery in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Artwork by Cathryn, "Dualist + III".
Arts & Cultural Project Minigrants
Arts & Cultural Projects Minigrants provide special opportunities to address local arts and cultural needs. These projects connect communities with the world by exploring, sharing and supporting creative expression. Grant amount up to $4,000.
Professional & Organizational Development Minigrants
Professional & Organizational Development minigrants assist nonprofit arts and cultural organizations, artists, cultural specialists, administrators and educators with opportunities that specifically improve their management and/or bring the individual or the organization to another level artistically. Grant amount up to $1,500.
Two K-12 Schools Arts + Creative Education Grants
Arts + Creative Education Equipment Grants
Michigan K-12 schools are eligible for grants of up to $1,500 to pay for arts equipment (including repairs of arts equipment) or supplies being used within the classroom/school setting.
Arts + Creative Bus Grants
Michigan K-12 schools are eligible for grants of up to $500 to pay for transportation cost for an arts or culture related field trip.
Other Available MACC Grants
MACC grants are due annually on June 1, 2022.
Interested applicants can find information about each program in further detail, including grant guidelines, on the MACC website, by clicking here. Visit our website here for more information on SmartSimple registration and other MACC grants.
Attend a Minigrant Training Workshop!
Attendees report scoring much higher on applications after attending these free grant workshops! Each session includes an overview of the guidelines, the online application tools and helpful hints on what reviewers look for in applications. Register here for one or both workshops.
Once you register via Eventbrite, the private Zoom link will be forwarded.
Tune-in to creative:impact to meet we creative guests rooted in Washtenaw County and explore how their creative businesses, products, programs and services impact and add to our local quality of life, place and economy. creative:impact is hosted by Deb Polich, president/CEO of Creative Washtenaw and airs Tuesdays on 89.1 WEMU during Morning Edition at 7:49 a.m. and 9:49 a.m. Find archive editions here. Send your ideas for guests to info@creativewashtenaw.org with creative:impact idea in the header.
"Embracing Our Differences" billboard photo courtesy of Lynne Settles. Art by Amanda Moore Ypsilanti, MI — at Gallup Park, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Art is blooming in the parks this summer.
May 10, 2022 - Embracing Our Differences plants the seeds of diversity, equity and inclusion in billboard-sized art installations sprinkled throughout four parks in Washtenaw County. Join Deb Polich on this edition of "creative:impact," and meet organizers Nancy Margolis and Lynne Settles to hear more about this exciting project.
100 Years in Bloom – Celebrating the U-M Peony Garden Centennial
May 17, 2022 - The perennial blossoming of the University of Michigan’s Peony Garden is a sure sign of spring. Perennial yes, but this year there is something extra to celebrate: the Peony Garden marks its 100th Anniversary. Join Deb Polich on this edition of "creative:impact," and listen in on a conversation about the art of public gardens and learn plans for the celebration.
Enjoy programs and presentations from your arts + creative community.
Don't see your event listed? Become a member and email us your events!
Get an up to date calendar of events at the Ann Arbor Observer.
Purple Rose Theatre Company Presents Sherlock Holmes and the Adventure of the Ghost Machine
Angie Kane directs the world premiere of Livonia playwright David MacGregor’s drama that imagines the Victorian sleuth, aided by Dr. Watson and Irene Adler, solving the disappearance of world-changing inventions by clients Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison. Runs May - Aug. Buy tickets here.
Chelsea Painters 47th Annual Art Fair
June 11 - 12, 2022 at Chelsea Community Fairgrounds, 10 a..m - 5 p.m. Watercolor, Acrylic, Pastel, Oil, Collage, Gouache, Ink, Colored Pencil, Encaustic and Mixed Media. Returning after a two year break for COVID! Learn more!
Embracing Our Differences Se Michigan Exhibit
Local Artist Virtual Art Gallery on display. Featuring an outdoor exhibit of 60 billboard size images created by local, national and international artists, writers and students reflecting their interpretations of the theme “enriching our lives through diversity." Learn more!
The Society For Musical Arts - 2021 - 2022 Concert Season
Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. at the Ann Arbor City Club. A variety of performances and events. Learn more about the lineup here. Ann Arbor Society for Musical Arts produces six concerts annually at the Ann Arbor City Club, featuring regional artists and two annual youth music competitions: “Rosalie Edwards Youth Music Competition” (REYMC) for musicians ages 13-18 and “Young Artist Competition” for college age.
Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra's 2022-23 Season Of Performances
Experience the full spectrum of human emotion amid a thrilling season-long exploration of some of the finest music ever created. Each concert crystalizes a new, unforgettable experience of world-class music-making, right in our vibrant Ann Arbor backyard. Learn more.
Westside Art Hop Spring 2022
Local artists' open homes and studios, plus 40+ visiting artists from near and far, housed on neighborhood porches, in homes or garages and other local venues in the historic Westside neighborhood of Ann Arbor. June 11 from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Learn more.
Ann Arbor Summer Festival Announces 2022 Season Lineup
Visit the Ann Arbor Summer Festival calendar to discover all the events. A2SF continues to grow as a major year-round cultural leader in Washtenaw County and as an internationally recognized celebration of arts that enriches the cultural, economic and social vitality of the region.
Riverside Arts Center Summer Camp 2022
June 22 - August 5, 2022. Production is at the heart of making art. Artists and theorists have long acknowledged its importance as both an artistic action and an idea to be explored. Register and learn more!
Want to add your events?
Event listings in our e-newsletter are an exclusive benefit for CW members. Are you a member? If you are, you have the option of submitting your event through the Ann Arbor Observer and Creative Washtenaw shared calendar. Follow the steps here to get started! If you would rather not share to AAO, please submit using our existing form here.
If you are not a member, please submit events for consideration using this submission form. Events aren't guaranteed social media or e-newsletter coverage. They are for members!
Not a member? Click here for membership information.
"Ypsilanti teen artists to ask difficult questions during two-day performance in May" - All About Ann Arbor
"Washtenaw County returns to ‘high’ COVID community level" - All About Ann Arbor
"Outdoor installations in Ann Arbor and Ypsi to feature local artists' meditations on diversity" - Concentrate
"Need a summer job? Ann Arbor Summer Festival is hiring for its 2022 season" - All About Ann Arbor
"New video game collection available at Manchester District Library" - The Manchester Mirror
"Calling all artists! Matthaei Botanical Gardens seeks submissions for summer exhibition" - All About Ann Arbor
"Michigan-Based ‘Renovated to Death’ Author Draws on Love of Old Houses for First Cozy Mystery Novel" - PrideSource
"Most of Broadway Ends Vaccine Checks as Cases Rise in New York" - The New York Times
"Weekly music series, Sunday brunch events coming to downtown Ann Arbor this summer" - All About Ann Arbor
"Michigan’s redistricting panel’s future uncertain, even though maps long done" - Bridge Michigan
"5 Women Working for Social Good" - Shondaland
"Young playwrights confront gun violence with their art and say #Enough" - NPR
"Input Needed for Ann Arbor Parks Updates" - Current Magazine
"Subtle ways power dynamics manifest between nonprofits and funders" - Nonprofit AF
"An Asian-Irish American Dancer Builds Community Through Creativity" - Independent Sector
"Got COVID? Michigan has 66 one-stop shops that both test and treat" - Bridge Michigan
National
The National Endowment For The Arts (Nea) Translation Projects
Through fellowships to published translators, the National Endowment for the Arts supports projects for the translation of specific works of prose, poetry or drama from other languages into English. Learn more. Click here for a comprehensive list of NEA grants.
The Lewis Prize For Music
The Lewis Prize for Music is now accepting 2023 Accelerator Awards applications. Accelerator Awards are open to Creative Youth Development (CYD) music organizations seeking to influence youth-serving systems so all young people have access to learning, creating and performing experiences that reflect their culture and identity. Applications are open from March 25 - June 3, 2022 at 8 p.m. EST.
Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation (MAAF) - Grants for Artists
Arts Administrators of Color Emergency Fund
Arts Administrators of Color has created the Arts Leaders of Color Emergency Fund, which supports BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) artists and arts administrators impacted by COVID-19 through $200 microgrants. Learn more.
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Grants for Arts Projects
Deadline to submit Part 2 into the portal is July 7 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Learn more about materials, timeline and more here.
Opera America Grants for Companies and Artists
Our awards to individuals advance the careers of women and people of color in creative roles and highlight emerging artists. Learn more about grants opportunities.
There are several more grants available!
Please visit our website here for more listings.
Local, Regional & State
Michigan Humanities Touring Grants - Application Window Opened May 1
For performance dates from June 1 to August 15. The Arts and Humanities Touring Program is a joint collaboration of the Michigan Humanities and the Michigan Arts and Culture Council. Michigan nonprofits can apply for Touring Grants to host arts and humanities programming that feature artists and presenters from both the humanities and performing/visual arts fields. Learn more.
Bridging Michigan Grants - Now Open
Michigan Humanities offering Bridging Michigan grants up to $1,500 that can be used to spark in-depth thinking and conversation around the persistent social, economic and cultural issues of systemic inequity that divide our communities. Diverse projects from across Michigan, addressing different themes and using a variety of public humanities formats, including reflective conversations, reading series, film screenings with discussions, web projects, walking tours, public lectures, panels and the creation of exhibits are invited to apply. Click here to learn more. Click here to apply.
Michigan Humanities Presents Michigan Museum Recovery Grants
Michigan Humanities is excited to announce Michigan Museum Recovery Grants! These grants are for Michigan-based museums with a humanities focus and can be used for general operating and/or programming support. Grants up to $10,000. Applications due May 26. Apply here through this grant portal.
Announced: Larry J. Bell Jazz Artist Awards
The Larry J. Bell Young Jazz Artist Award will be presented every two years to single out two of the most promising of the new generation of U.S.-based jazz pianists, age 22 and younger. The first recipients will be announced in 2024. Learn more!
Michigan Arts & Culture Council (MACC) FY23 Minigrants Announced
Visit our website here to learn more about Arts & Cultural Projects and Professional & Organizational Development (POD) grant requirements, materials and dates. Round 1 Deadline is 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2022. Click here for the complete list of MACC grants.
MACC Grants with a June 1, 2022 Deadline
Of note, the recently posted MACC grants include the Operational Support Grant, Project Support Grant, Capital Improvement Grant, Arts in Education Grant and New Leaders Grant. All information can be found here.
Updated Resources List! For a complete list of local resources, please visit our updated list here. For resources beyond Washtenaw county, click here.
Young Dancers Initiative - Ann Arbor May Auditions
Now announcing season 10 auditions! Open to advanced dancers aged 13-18 that are seeking to further their contemporary dance training and expand their knowledge of careers in the dance industry. Access performances here. Sign up for the May 29 Audition in Ann Arbor here.
Fenton Arts Council - Call for Artists for 2022 New Directions Exhibit
The Fenton Arts Council is excited to announce a call for Artists for the 2022 New Directions Exhibit. The focus of the show is for artists to consider a new direction in their work; new media, new subject, new insight, new inspiration; any new idea. All applications must be submitted by midnight on May 30, 2022. Learn more and apply.
Open Call for Art - Riverside Arts Center
“Read it Again: Re-imagination of Children’s Book Covers,” will run March – May 2022, with the opening in conjunction with March Reading Month. This exhibition will be juried by Riverside Arts Center’s gallery committee. Both amateur and professional artists are welcome to apply.
Theater & Musical Theater Grant Workshop Registration
Interested in hearing about the latest updates to our guidelines, or learning more about applying to Grants for Arts Projects? Join members of the Theater & Musical Theater team as they provide an overview of Arts Endowment grants and share in-depth details regarding the Grants for Arts Projects funding opportunity. Register here.
Northville Art House - Call for Independent Contracted Professional Artists & Art Teachers!
Access the application or the online form.
Sundance Institute - 2022 Documentary Fund Fall Cycle
Calling all doc filmmakers! Does your next project need financial support? Applications are now open for the Sundance Institute Documentary Fund, which prioritizes support for independent nonfiction films with budgets under $1,000,000. The deadline for the Documentary Fund is Monday, June 6, at 2:59 p.m. EST. Filmmakers who submit applications by then will hear back on decisions in fall 2022. Learn more and apply.
Michigan Medicine Gifts of Art - Call for Exhibits 2022/2023
Gifts of Art’s rotating gallery program is intended to support the healing process by calming nerves, lifting spirits, engaging minds and thereby reducing the stress and anxiety often associated with healthcare settings. With large patient, staff and visitor populations that are diverse in every way imaginable, we strive to be inclusive and honor this diversity by mounting exhibits that reflect today's world. Learn more! Submissions close June 15, 2022.
Harbor Beach Artist in Residence
Considering all forms of art except those that manipulate, disrupt or disturb the cottages or park's environment. Submit here by July 17, 2022 for the Fall artist in residence program.
Youth Arts Alliance - Teaching Artist Application
YAA seeks professional teaching artists to teach healing centered arts workshops to youth and their families through Washtenaw, Wayne, Jackson and Monroe counties. YAA teaching artists are expected to plan an 8 session curriculum based in artistic mediums in which they hold expertise. They will consult with the YAA Managing Director to determine the best approach for workshop structure, depending on if they will be placed with a group of youth in a detention unit, a treatment unit or a community space. Prior to starting their first workshop cycle, the teaching artist must attend a YAA teaching artist training. Learn more and apply! Please submit application materials via PDF to Lucy Cahill at lucy@youthartsalliance.org
Embracing our Differences - Southeast Michigan - Seeking Docents
Embracing Our Differences is seeking docents to help lead school trips to Gallup and Riverside Park to discuss the art about diversity, equity and inclusion. Docents may volunteer one or two days a week or half days May - Sept. 2022. Click here to apply!
Adrian Center for the Arts - Executive Director
The Arts Administrators of Color Network (AAC) - Executive Director
Docent for Public Art Exhibition - Embracing our Differences SE Michigan
Ann Arbor Street Art Fair - Paid Summer Internship
Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum - Several new openings.
Explore Administrative Positions at the Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO)
Explore new positions at American Alliances of Museums
Adrian Center for the Arts - Executive Director
The Arts Administrators of Color Network (AAC) - Executive Director
Docent for Public Art Exhibition - Embracing our Differences SE Michigan
Ann Arbor Street Art Fair - Paid Summer Internship
Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum - Several new openings.
Explore Administrative Positions at the Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO)
Explore new positions at American Alliances of Museums
If you would like to submit a job posting, please fill out our submission form here.
For more listings, please visit our jobs page here.
Creative Washtenaw Partners with Americans for the Arts to Gather Data for Arts & Economic Prosperity 6 Study
Creative Washtenaw is proud to partner with the Americans for the Arts to participate in Arts & Economic Prosperity 6 (AEP6), the sixth national study of the economic impact of the nonprofit arts and culture industry. The data collected within Washtenaw County will deepen insights into the health of Washtenaw County's cultural tourism. Creative Washtenaw will be working with many organizations in the county to collect information on event-related audience spending in relation to cross-sector economic impact.
Capitalization Needs of Arts & Culture Organizations in Southeast Michigan: Second Edition
This report—a follow-up to the first one commissioned by CultureSource in April 2020—is one aspect of CultureSource’s ongoing support of creative activity. Access the updated 2021 report here.
Click here to subscribe to Creative Michigan Activist, where we list surveys at a regional and national level.
Local Advocacy & Action
Creative Washtenaw's Advocacy Education Resources
Visit our website page here for Advocacy & Action facts, figures and recommended reading.
Looking for Statewide and Federal Action Items?
Sign up for Artrain's biweekly e-news digest: The Creative Michigan Activist.
Washtenaw County
Visit Washtenaw County's central COVID-19 page. Click here for a more detailed breakdown of cases and demographics. Not in Washtenaw County? Find your county vaccine registration information here.
State/Regional
COVID-19 cases in Michigan expected to climb through May: What it means - Detroit Free Press
Federal
3 Ways to get COVID pills, if you've just tested positive
Know Your Treatment Options for COVID-19
Take the CDC's Coronavirus Self-Checker!
Covid Climbing Yet Again Throughout US - KHN; The new BA.2.12.1 variant was responsible for 29% of new coronavirus infections and they are on the rise across the country.
For a more comprehensive list, please visit our website here.
Visit our updated 411 page for Workers + Businesses Federal, State & Local!
Visit here. This page is filled with helpful resources for all things IRS, SBA, official orders and more. A sampling below:
Washtenaw and local
Washtenaw County Flood Resources
Michigan Works! Southeast provides a plethora of support, training and services for job seekers.
Michigan
Increasing Voter Registration Opportunities Governor Whitmer signed executive directive 2022-04, instructing all state departments and agencies to identify and assess potential opportunities to help eligible Michiganders register to vote and gain access to reliable information about voting.
$400 Refund Checks for Auto Insurance
Michigan COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance (CERA)
SBA Resources for Women-Owned Businesses
Federal
Biden Will Cancel Student Loans Or Extend Student Loan Pause Before August 31
Living Wage Calculator - estimates the cost of living in your community or region based on typical expenses.
Nonprofit ArtsReady Preparedness Kit - sign up here! Resources for arts and cultural organizations through the process of developing an emergency preparedness plan. Watch the video to learn more. Arts organizations, request a free year of access to the new dPlan|ArtsReady tool! You will be among the first to be notified when we launch in the coming weeks.
Join the Arts Action Fund to advance the arts and arts education in your community and across the country.
It's FREE and takes just a minute. Add your name and be counted so Congress know there are millions of arts and creative workers, businesses and citizens who insist that arts and creativity are critical to our country. Join here for updates and calls to action.
Annual Arts Action Fund membership is free and your online benefits include:
- Membership to vote on the legislative policy platforms
- Breaking news and legislative alerts from the E-Advocacy center
- Quarterly updates through Arts Action eNews
- Exclusive access to the member's only Arts Action Fund PAC
WEMU 89.1 FM - Local news coverage plus local arts + creative coverage including creative:impact with Creative Washtenaw's own Deb Polich.
Bridge Magazine - Michigan's nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that provides passionate and rooted Michigan readers with honest, fact-driven journalism on the state’s diverse people, politics and economy.
All About Ann Arbor - offers local news, feature stories, restaurant news, sports news, latest events in town and more for Ann Arbor residents.
Concentrate Magazine - tells the narrative of Washtenaw County’s narrative people and businesses, new development, cool places to live, and the best places to work and play. The weekly online magazine is published Wednesdays.
For the fastest updates and breaking news!
- Follow Creative Washtenaw on Facebook
- Follow Creative Washtenaw on Twitter
Creative Washtenaw's COVID-19 Support Page
- Resources - including advocacy, support and affiliation agencies
- Aid, assistance and grants for artists, creatives and organizations - COVID-19
The Arts + Creative Industries Guide
With links to creative members and businesses.
Featuring hundreds of artists, creative workers, businesses and ally members, this is your guide to what makes Creative Washtenaw, and the greater Ann Arbor area one of Michigan’s strongest and most vibrant arts + creative industry hubs.
Creative Washtenaw is the arts + creative industry authority in Washtenaw County. A regional agency, its mission is to support, assist, aid and act in the interest of artists, creative workers, organizations, businesses, educational and government entities to ensure that the greater Ann Arbor, Michigan, region remains a great place to create, live, work, learn, play and visit.
The intrinsic and aesthetic values of the arts and creativity are determining factors of success for Creative Washtenaw members. They include local artists and creative people – professionals, amateurs, students and industry experts leading the sector locally, nationally and internationally – those with creative practices, businesses and holding creative jobs in profit, nonprofit, educational and government entities. With deep connections to Washtenaw County, they make the greater Ann Arbor area one of Michigan's strongest and most vibrant arts + creative industry hubs.
Creative Washtenaw serves Ann Arbor, Chelsea, Dexter, Manchester, Milan, Saline, Whitmore Lake and Ypsilanti plus the 21 townships in the county. It is committed to, forever evolving and learning about diversity, equity and inclusion. This includes learning how its community defines the intrinsic and aesthetic qualities of art and creativity by the cultural expert, the credentialed scholar, the journeyed or self-taught master and/or the astute consumer of the form.
Creative Washtenaw is supported by its members, the National Endowment for the Arts and the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs.
For more information, please go to Creative Washtenaw or contact info@creativewashtenaw.org or call or 734-213-2733.
