With the new year comes a big milestone for a Mt. Clemens cultural institution.
The Anton Art Center is celebrating 50 years of providing the public with free access to the arts.
Located on the edge of downtown Mt. Clemens, the arts and cultural center provides free admission to its gallery. Its many programs, too, are often free of charge.
"In our 50th anniversary year, the Anton Art Center is looking more outwardly at opportunities to engage with our community through programming, but also through community development efforts such as the Community Innovation Workshops," says Phil Gilchrist, Executive Director of the Anton.
Beginning in February and running through April, the Community Innovation Workshops will engage community partners and stakeholders in ways that demonstrate how to make social and institutional change through the arts. Local governments, nonprofit organizations, churches, and service groups will be invited.
The workshops are a part of the Complex Community Change program by EmcArts. That organization selected Mt. Clemens as one of only two communities to host the event nationwide.
Also new this year is the SatARTdays program. To celebrate their 50th year, the Anton Art Center is offering free art activities and performances every second Saturday of the month throughout 2019.
The next such event is Saturday, Feb. 9 at 7 p.m. when Anton will host a performance from the Michigan Opera Theatre.
Currently on display in the gallery is work from the Michigan Annual XLVI, the center’s 46th annual statewide juried art competition. Also on display are items from the Selfridge Air Museum and an art exhibit titled Gold.
"We believe that the arts can play a beneficial role in many different aspects of everyday life, and hope that we are able to help improve the quality of life in our area through experiences which can provide the enrichment and inspiration that we aspire to achieve," Gilchrist says.
To learn more about the Anton Art Center, visit them online or at 125 Macomb Pl. in downtown Mt. Clemens.
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