(Walker Carriage Works building/see 1975)

100 Years of Art: Historical Timeline of the Ann Arbor Art Center

1909
The Ann Arbor Art Association was founded. It is the third oldest arts organization in Michigan and predates the University of Michigan academic arts curriculum.

1910
Alumni Memorial Hall built (now the University of Michigan Museum of Art). The space also functioned as a location for the Art Association to operate out of.

1912
The Art Association became a member of the American Federation of Art, which circulated lists of exhibitions and assisted in securing art exhibitions at a reasonable cost.1st Annual All Media Exhibition held.

1922
The Art Association was incorporated as a non-profit, tax-exempt corporation.

1930
The Art Lending Service of the Ann Arbor Art Association was established. This service provided individuals the opportunity to rent original pictures by local artists for their homes, offices, or institutions for two month periods at an inexpensive fee.

1934
An Art Column was established in the Michigan Daily in response to the community’s increasing interest in art. The column reported on new local exhibits, as well as provided information on specific works of art, along with opinions and discussion questions.

1938
The Horace H. Rackham Building was built and served as more gallery space for the University of Michigan and the Art Association. The following year the Michigan School of Art was established.

1940
Membership numbers and funds were at an all time low. In addition The University required all of the space within Alumni Memorial Hall and as a result the Art Association was left solely with Rackham galleries for all of its future exhibition space.

1942
As a result of the war the Art Association decided that no dues would be collected and only the All-Media Exhibition would be held for the time being. For the first time prizes were awarded at the exhibition and they consisted of blocks of War Savings stamps.

1945
Membership dues were resumed and 63 new members were brought into the organization.

1946
The University of Michigan Museum of Art was inaugurated as the result of intensive work by the Ann Arbor Art Association members; this led the Art Association to direct its main efforts towards the promotion of local and regional artists.

1957
The Art Association loaned the University of Michigan Museum of Art 24 works from their permanent collection for storage purposes, including five oils, six watercolors, twelve prints, and a sculpture; with a total value of $3,356.

1959
The 50th Anniversary of the Ann Arbor Art Association was celebrated. Emil Lorch and Jean Paul Slusser co-author a book on the history of the Art Association titled, A Survey of Fifty Years: The Ann Arbor Art Association, 1909-1950.

The first Ann Arbor Art Fair was organized by the Art Association along with local retail merchants, the South University Organization, the Chamber of Commerce, and the University of Michigan.

1972
The Ann Arbor Art Association donated their entire permanent collection of art to the University of Michigan Museum of Art to complete their role as a non-profit organization with tax-exempt status. The collection was valued at $500,000.

• The Art Association rented 2275 Platt Road as a temporary gallery and studio space until their purchase of 117 West Liberty.

1975
Liberty Street Gallery (formerly Walker Carriage Works building) is purchased and renovated. For the first time in its history the Art Association possesses its own space.

1980
First annual Potential! exhibition held.  This annual exhibition recognizes the work of outstanding artists of high school age and salutes their teachers who help train them.

1982
The Print Exhibition established

1983
First annual WineFest held.

1984
The Art Association celebrated its 75th year of service to the city and region.

ArtMakers was launched.

1985
Recipient of Annie Award from the Washtenaw Council for the Arts as an outstanding arts organization.

1986
Community outreach programs started for hearing impaired individuals, the developmentally disabled, senior citizens, and for schools that do not have art instruction.

Corporate Membership Program initiated, 150 business participants underwrote shows.

1987
Began improvements to programs with support from several sources.

• Received Michigan Equity Grants for capital improvements.
• 50% increase in Michigan Council for the Arts funding.

1989
Completed restoration on the facade of 117 West Liberty.

• Art Consulting Services offered to local and regional businesses.

1991
Runner up for Crain’s Detroit Business Best-Managed Non-Profit Organization.
Expanded Programs with ArtVentures Studio.
Launched Art n’ Facts in the Ann Arbor Public Schools.

1992
First annual Sommelier Dinner held.

1993
Recipient of the prestigious Governors’ Arts Award for exceptional leadership as a Michigan arts organization.

1995
The Ann Arbor Art Association renamed the Ann Arbor Art Center.

1996
ArtMakers Teens launched.
Purchased The Art Factory on Felch Street to expand the ceramics, tile making, sculpture, jewelry, and fiber studios.
Funds provided by Chrysler enabled the Art Center to renovate a section of the Liberty Street building to house the Feat of Clay Studio.

1998
Endowment Fund established, raised $95,000 in the first year..

1999
Lester John Challenge raised $217,000 to beautify and develop the exterior grounds of the Art Factory.

2000
www.annarborartcenter.org was launched.
Marsha Chamberlin President’s Fund established by the Board of Directors to honor her 20 years of organizational leadership.

2009
The Ann Arbor Art Center celebrates their 100th Anniversary!