Michigan Fine Arts Endowment Fund

History is being made in Michigan! A Michigan Fine Arts Endowment Fund is being created to help develop, promote and encourage the arts in Michigan for the benefit of our children and our local communities for 2022 and beyond. This is the first of it's kind in Michigan and in the USA for Classical Arts.

Over the previous 35 years, the Michigan Thygaraja Aradhana has been running with the support from individual donor funds managed by GLAC and have supported a variety of arts and culture programming. The event has also been a fundraiser for the Paschima Kasi Sri Viswanatha Temple for the past 35 years where all the proceeds collected have been fully donated to the Temple.

To make the Michigan Thyagaraja Aradhana a sustainable initiative in the upcoming decades, GLAC is starting a 'Michigan Fine Arts Endowment Fund', an endowed fund which will work by investing the principal and using only the interest to make the grants available to our community. The result is a gift that continues to grow and support the arts for many, many years to come. What more, the funds donated can be tailored to your personal and financial interests making this a lasting gift that is right for you.

For generations, patrons of arts, music and culture have helped open eyes, touch spirits, enrich souls, connect people, create understanding, and overcome differences. Lifetime gifts and legacies keep the arts alive—supporting artists, promoting culture, and improving communities.

Please contact Sri B Roger Natarajan (classicbrn-at-hotmail-dot-com) or Sri CK Venkateswaran (cklakshmi1970-at-gmail-dot-com), two of our prominent community leaders who have been involved with Thyagaraja Aradhanas for over 35 years for information on this initiative and learn how you can help continue the work of this Arts Initiative or support an aspect of the arts important to you, your family and friends, or your local community.

Fine Print:

Ways to donate: Check payable to GLAC | Venmo: @glacmichigan | Zelle: glacmichigan@gmail.com

Why support the arts?
It feels good. Art has a personal—and positive—effect on individuals. It surfaces emotions, sparks imagination, and uncovers possibilities. Ask people why they love art—chances are you’ll hear that it astonishes, energizes, empowers, inspires, motivates, surprises and teaches. Art touches lives for the better.

It does good. The value of art goes beyond its beauty and power to move individuals. Art has societal benefits as well. Research shows that art fuels local economic growth—contributing jobs, advancing tourism, and nurturing the creativity that is a hallmark of our region. Arts education helps kids succeed in school because it improves their ability to learn in other subject areas and increases their self esteem. And art brings people together—fostering social connections, bridging cultural differ¬ences, promoting deeper understanding of others, and encouraging civic engagement. Add it all up, and it is clear that art strengthens community.

It’s time now. It’s never been more important to take action. Michigan State funding for the arts is at an all-time low. Indeed, the decline has been dramatic and swift— funding has dropped. Today state art funding is less then a few cents per person per year—an amount that is less than almost every other state in the nation. The decline in state funding directly affects artists and arts organizations. This loss in revenue cannot be offset by increased ticket or admission prices alone—revenues that account for less than half of the actual costs of operating most arts organizations. It’s up to us to ensure that the arts thrive in our community.