The County Press

Michigan Council for Arts awards $15,000 grant to Center for the Arts of Greater Lapeer


The Center for the Arts of Greater Lapeer, Inc. puts on 12 Gallery exhibitions per year and more than 50 performances in the PIX Theatre every year. Photo by Jeff Hogan

The Center for the Arts of Greater Lapeer, Inc. puts on 12 Gallery exhibitions per year and more than 50 performances in the PIX Theatre every year. Photo by Jeff Hogan

LAPEER — The Center for the Arts of Greater Lapeer, Inc. has been awarded a $15,000 grant from the Michigan Council of Arts and Cultural Affairs (MCACA) for 2019.

The Operational Support grant will assist the Center for the Arts with artists and instructors fees, marketing, community outreach, production costs, and classroom supplies. The Center for the Arts offers 12 Gallery exhibitions per year and more than 50 performances in the PIX Theatre per year, as well as a variety of art classes, workshops and special events, such as Oktoberfest, Women’s Holiday Expo and Summer Youth Theater show.

The grant was awarded through the MCACA peer review process and was one of 473 applications to compete for MCACA fiscal year 2019 funding.

The Center for the Arts of Greater Lapeer, Inc. is the merger of the former PIX Arts Council and Gallery 194, the 5-year-old organization is a 501c3 non-profit serving the greater Lapeer County region. This is the fifth MCACA Operational Support Grant awarded the Center for the Arts. At the grant review in August, the panelist found the quality and variety of programming impressive. The support of the DDA, service organizations, local businesses and community were also vital to the success of the grant application.

Organizations receiving a MCACA grant award are required to match those funds with other public and private dollars. Local support of the Center for the Arts included: Lakestone Bank & Trust: The County Press /Lapeer Area View newspapers, Lapeer Optimist Club, Calvelli’s and Papa’s Pizza, Sue Gregory and Gary Herfert, Meijer, State Farm Pat Cronin, Lapeer Medical Associates, Kiwanis of Lapeer, the Curt Carter family, Burke’s Flowers, Circle K RV’s, DTE Energy Foundation, The Lapeer Agency, Lesley Elizabeth, Vidon Plastics, Tri-City Times, McLaren Lapeer Region, Rotary Club of Lapeer, Action Fence, Aladdin’s Cleaning and Restoration, Andrew Aretakis, DDS, Better Buy Flags, Gaye Butterfield, Coldwell Banker Sherrill Hengy, Coldwell Banker Veronica Abdelnour, Coulter Real Estate, Dort Federal Credit Union, East Annrook Party Store, ELGA Credit Union, Fenton Home Furnishings, Gerlach’s Bowling Center, Huntington Bank, Kapala Heating Air Conditioning, Keith Byard State Farm, Lapeer Awning and Window, Lapeer County Medical Care Facility, Lapeer Vision Center, Lapeer Dental Centre, Lee’s Auto Repair, Lola’s Design Salon, Melanie DiCenso Financial Planner, Milnes Ford, Molly Maid of Metamora, Mott Community College, Muir Brothers Funeral Home, Oesch and Sieting Certified Public Accountants, Robson & McCallum, Certified Public Accountants, Roberts Dermatology, Ross Automotive, Rowe Professional Services Company, the Robert Rowden Jr., Thelma Rowden, and Carol Fischhaber families, Sharkey Construction Corporation, Sovita Credit Union, Taylor, Butterfield, Howell, Churchill & Garner, P.C., Rick and Fran VanHaaften and Woodchips American Barbeque Restaurant.