ADRIAN — Organizations that put on arts and entertainment events in Lenawee County have received more than $200,000 in grants from the Michigan Arts and Culture Council.
The MACC is the state government’s lead agency charged with developing arts and culture policy and grant-making, according to its website. The funding is used to support general operations, facility improvements, education, professional development and programming.
River Raisin Ragtime Revue (R4) is one of the organizations that received funding. R4 will receive $38,400 with $17,500 for developing and implementing programming to be presented locally and in other Michigan communities, a news release said. This support helps fund the annual Ragtime Extravaganza on the PlaneWave Instruments campus in Adrian, which brought thousands of visitors to Adrian this summer. The 2025 Extravaganza will be part of Adrian’s bicentennial celebrations and R4 expects 10,000 participants to benefit from the free event.
R4’s grant includes $15,000 for the renovation costs of the Haviland Hall project, the release said. R4 has completed significant work to the exterior of the 1882 chapel on the PlaneWave campus and is now focusing on interior work. Once renovated, Haviland Hall will serve as a permanent home for R4 and also as a community arts and education venue.
R4 was awarded $900 to send to board members to the SphinxConnect conference in Detroit, with the goal of making arts programming more accessible to diverse audiences. $5,000 was granted to expand programs to Lenawee County students.
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R4 Executive Director William Pemberton expressed gratitude for the continued support MACC has given R4.
“MACC funding is essential for our work and helps us create programs that make a difference in our community,” Pemberton said in the release. “There’s no way the annual Extravaganza could happen free for everyone and attract the talent it does without this support. We’re so pleased that they continue to trust us to provide quality music and educational programming for so many listeners.”
In Tecumseh, the Art Trail public art exhibit received a $9,000 grant. Art Trail Tecumseh is funded and managed by the Downtown Development Authority (DDA), a news release said. Art Trail Tecumseh is in its 17th year and includes over 20 sculptures, murals, and an interactive art and music park. Residents and visitors can travel throughout Tecumseh’s downtown district to view each sculpture and mural.
“This program is part of what makes Tecumseh so special and unique. It draws visitors from everywhere,” Tecumseh DDA chairman Bob Fox said in the release. “The DDA has always supported Art Trail Tecumseh and was the first in the area to implement this public art program.”
The DDA has maintained its partnership with Midwest Sculpture Initiative (MSI) to recruit artists from the Midwest for its sculptures. The pieces are selected each year by an all-volunteer committee comprised of local artists and community leaders. A goal for spring 2025 is to increase the number of committee members including two new youth members.
“Funding through Michigan Arts and Culture Council allows us to increase the number of ‘traveling’ exhibits, add one new permanent installation, and aid in the creation of a new, interactive, digital art trail app,” Tecumseh Economic Development Director Kelly Jo Gilmore said in the release. “The new digital map will help increase accessibility and awareness for each art piece and provide an educational component on the artist and installation.”
The sculptures are on display in Tecumseh throughout the year with new sculptures installed in the spring.
Other organizations receiving grants include:
- Adrian Main Street DDA, $12,000.
- Adrian Symphony Orchestra, $39,450.
- APG Audio Visual Mentoring Inc., $17,500.
- Croswell Opera House, $33,400.
- Sam Beauford Woodshop, $34,450.
- Siena Heights University, $9,000.
- Tecumseh Center for the Arts, $27,900.
— Contact reporter David Panian at [email protected] or follow him on X, formerly Twitter: @lenaweepanian.