Our Mission
Creative Washtenaw is the ONLY professional organization serving the Arts and Creative Community of Washtenaw County!
A regional agency, its mission is to advocate for and provide support services to artists, creative workers, organizations, businesses, educational and government entities to ensure that Washtenaw County remains a great place for all to create, live, work, learn, play, and visit.
Our History
Creative Washtenaw (formerly The Arts Alliance) began in May 1999 when a countywide arts summit brought together 150 arts/culture and business/civic leaders to "share their hopes, concerns, and dreams for the future" of arts and culture in the county. Among the expressed outcomes was the need for a countywide cultural service organization that could advocate for and provide services to arts and cultural organizations, businesses, and creative individuals. Over the next two years, a coalition of arts and community leaders developed a business plan for such an organization. The plan envisioned a collaborative structure among the founding partners of the Arts Alliance to provide services to the cultural community.
The Arts Alliance was launched and incubated by the Ann Arbor Area Chamber of Commerce in 20023. The Arts Alliance became an independent 501(c)(3) organization in 2008. Today, rebranded as Creative Washtenaw, we continue to provide advocacy and resources to support Washtenaw County's creative ecosystem.
