We've Moved!
Downtown Public Space for Black Arts & Community

The Black Arts & Cultural Center (BACC) is raising funds to support the sustainability and build of a new space that will be a hub & safe haven to black artists and community members located in Downtown Kalamazoo right on Kalamazoo Mall. This initiative is important to provide vivid visibility to the work and impact of the BACC as well as provide an activated space for artist of color within the Epic Center downtown Kalamazoo.

This campaign is being led by The Black Arts & Cultural Center in partnership with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation's (MEDCs) Public Spaces Community Places grant program to create a space that will provide co-working for creators, cultural programs, and art classes for adults & youth to the public in our new space.

With your support we can open our new doors to the community free of use during business hours to work on their craft, view art in our gallery and participate in classes & programs. Our new space provides easier access among the downtown traffic and more visibility allowing us to provide cultural evening and weekend programs & entertainment for the Kalamazoo Community.  


 

The Impact

That's why we are asking for Kalamazoo & surrounding communities to support our 35+ year legacy in continuing the hard work and building a new space for today & the next generations future. With your support, every donor will help achieve:

• Creating an active space for the community as BACC once started
• 1,000 sqft for artists to use for large scale painting, writing, designing, music, photography and more in our Gail Sydnor Gallery
• Public access to computers to create/edit/advance art with full Adobe Creative Cloud Suite for artist, photographers and digital creators including access to all-in-one Virtual Reality Oculus system for 3D drawing with Google Tilt.
• A boutique café for the public to purchase beverages, handmade crafts, breakfast & lunch items made & operated by local black owned brands.
• Making our space suitable for anyone in the community to reserve for private use of rehearsals, meetings, dance practice and private events.
• New membership structure with greater value and bigger impact to allow after hour access into the space, discounted rates to reserve the entire space for private use and access to training and development workshops for artist and non-profit leaders focused on equity & inclusion in the arts.

How You Can Help

You can help continue the legacy started by founding members through your contribution. Every donor will receive a thank you gift. We encourage you to give and/or share this campaign in support of BACC with your coworkers, friends, family and social networks. If we hit our goal every dollar will be  matched by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) and will go toward our complete build out of the space and sustainability cost. Your support is appreciated by the BACC Staff, Members and Board of Directors.

If you wish to give with check, cash or in person please mail or drop off donation at 359 S. Kalamazoo Mall 102, Kalamazoo, MI 49007.