Michigan Arts League to built new facility in Midtown

The Virgil H. Carr Cultural Arts Center will be built on the corner of John R and Forest, serving as the hub for African-American creativity in Midtown. The facility will solidify the critical mass for African-American culture in the area by locating near the George R N’Namdi Gallery, Charles H. Wright Museum and the First Congregational Living Museum.

The 47,000-square-foot-complex will house three visual arts galleries, three visual arts studios, two performing arts studios, two dance studios, a 250-seat theater, a television studio, a recording studio, as well as space for poetry and creative writing and a retail shop and café. “This is the only building of its kind where all arts can be practiced under one roof,” says Oliver Ragsdale Jr., president of the Michigan Arts League.

Ragsdale also says that the interior will be translucent to allow guests and artists to see each other and interact as they work. Additionally, the exterior will be largely constructed of glass with the top two stories jutting-out into the street. “People will feel the energy and activity of the dance studios as they drive down John R.”

The Michigan Arts League has selected 19 individual artists and art organizations to serve as residents to the facility. Residents will be required to work a minimum of 12 hours a week, which can be achieved through personal work, training sessions, and holding special events.

The total cost of the facility is projected to be upwards of $13.7 million. The project is set to break ground in the spring should be finished by fall 2006.

Source: Oliver Ragsdale, Jr., president of the Michigan Arts League