Outreach

The Arts Council improves access to the arts for the broader public by hosting outreach programs that offer arts experiences at festivals, schools, fairs and community events at little or no cost to participants. 

Places where you'll find us include: Holland Multicultural Festival, Holland Pride, Herman Miller Picnic, Holland Farmers Market, Zeelmania, Hope College Community Day - and a neighborhood near you!

Our Community Partners include: Community Action House/Refresh, Grand Rapids Ballet disability program, The Bridge Youth Center, Resilience, Ottawa County Eat Up & Meet Up, Herrick District Library, the City of Zeeland, Park Township, Hope College, West Coast Chamber of Commerce, Holland Junior Welfare League, Lakeshore Fiber Arts Guild, and Holland Friends of Art.  We are also partnered with various youth detention and assisted living senior centers in the area. 

ArtCarts

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Introducing…
ArtCarts: The Arts Council’s newest way to help you “get your creative on,” our mobile ArtCarts deliver creativity to your doorstep!  Filled with all you need for a hands-on creative experience, the ArtCart is a great way to entertain a group of kids or adults.  For just $250, our Creative Technician comes to your home or organization for up to two hours with an art-making station filled with project supplies.  Simply choose a project from the below menu and our Creative Technician will take care of the rest! 

To book the ArtCart for your next event, please contact helpdesk@hollandarts.org or (616) 396-3278.  Materials for up to 20 people included, larger groups can be accommodated although pricing may vary.
Project Menu
Gyotaku Fish Printing
Shaving Cream Paper Marbling
Worry Dolls
Glove & Sock Puppets
Franken Toy-making
The ArtCarts are made possible by your support and by grants from the following:

CASA: Children's After School Achievement

CASA, a community organization housed at Hope, focuses on academic and cultural enrichment for at-risk second- through fifth-grade students. The program, which runs year-round, is intended to improve the students' academic performance by providing the tools they need to succeed in school.

The Arts Council partners with Hope to provide art programming, including gallery tours and art projects, for CASA. We serve approximately 120 kids throughout the summer in different sessions. 

Contact helpdesk@hollandarts.org or 616-396-3278 for more information. 

CultureWorks

CultureWorks Transformative Art + Design Academy is a Holland, MI-based nonprofit offering culturally relevant, transformative art and design experiences to youth from all backgrounds.  CultureWorks provides a nurturing environment where professional teaching artists and designers work with middle and high school students from all backgrounds to inspire curiosity, develop talent, and build 21st century skills.  

The Bridge Youth Center

The Bridge Youth Center works to reach out to youth through relationships with adults and peers–to meet them at their point of need.  Their mission is to provide a place where kids are safe, loved, and valued.  On Friday afternoons the Arts Council provides creative art programming.​

For more information visit www.bymczeeland.org

Art for All

Art for All, a unique art program for adults with mental and/or physical disabilities, began in 1985 as an opportunity for individuals in the community to experience the arts. Original underwriting was by the Life Consultation Center.  By 1997 the program was absorbed by the Holland Area Arts Council, and classes were moved to its new building at 150 East 8th Street. Mae Van Ark, a local artist and art instructor, was the guiding light for the program and taught the Art for All classes from inception until her retirement in 2009.

Today the Art for All program is a year-round class taught once a week for an hour and a half.  The present supervising instructor is Sandie Coffman.  Student attendance varies from 13 to 20 each week. The cost is $20 per month, and scholarships are available from community sponsors.  Art for All students are exposed to various art media including printmaking, weaving, clay sculpture, painting, and wood construction, as well as dance and movement.

Art for All is sponsored, in part, by a grant from the Community Foundation of Holland/Zeeland.
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Email art4all@hollandarts.org for more information.

Community Action House

Community Action House provides Holland area families and individuals with food, clothing, shelter, and the opportunity to build necessary skills to achieve a stable and prosperous life. The Arts Council provides this organization with art instruction and supplies for those in need.  

Live Arts

Live Arts is an art program for at-risk and special needs high school students. For twelve weeks during the spring, the students visit the Arts Council for a wide range of advanced art projects. Professional artists even provide occasional demonstrations. At the end of the session, the Arts Council hosts an exhibition of the students' artwork. 

Contact helpdesk@hollandarts.org or 616-396-3278 for more information. 

Holland Friends of Art

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Visitors viewing Holland Friends of Art Spring Show, 2015
Holland Friends of Art was founded in 1963 through the efforts of a group of artists, patrons, and the City of Holland. The goal was to initiate an annual art show and to stimulate community awareness of the creative talents in the Holland area. We have grown over the years to be a well-respected supporter of the visual arts within West Michigan. Membership is open to all persons with an appreciation for art. HFA welcomes the artist and the craftsman regardless of skill level. Whether beginner, amateur, or professional, HFA embraces those who support the growth of art appreciation and education within our community.

For more information visit hollandfriendsofart.com.

I Am Academy

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Workshop participants pictured in the Arts Council's Padnos Gallery, 2021
I AM Academy is an organization that will help to dismantle the school-to-prison pipeline systems within educational institutions through mentorships with students and community partnerships.  

Partnering with the Holland Area Arts Council and local schools, I AM Academy empowers African American adolescents and young adults to achieve their full potential by centering their identity, cultivating relationships, supporting educational success, providing college experiences, and facilitating job readiness; ultimately changing the narrative and trajectory of their community.


For more information visit iamacademymi.org

Début: High School Visual Art Competition 

Every spring, the Holland Area Arts Council presents Début, our High School Juried Art Exhibition. This exhibition gives high school students the opportunity to experience the process of a real juried exhibition and to showcase their talents. Through this experience, we hope to instill in them the joy and the challenge that art brings to our lives.

Thirteen area high schools take part in this exciting exhibition including Allendale, Black River, Careerline Tech, Coopersville, Fennville, Grand Haven, Hamilton, Holland Christian, Holland, Jenison, Saugatuck, West Ottawa and Zeeland. Each art instructor may submit 16 works from their students.  The Arts Council chooses a juror from the artistic community whose task is to choose around 100 pieces for the exhibit. While this creates a tremendous amount of excitement around the show, it also injects the element of competition that exists in any juried exhibition.

Over the years our jurors have been well respected artists, educators and connoisseurs of art. Over the years our jurors have included the Dean of Arts and Humanities at Hope College, professors from Grand Valley State University and Hope College and the Executive Director of ArtPrize.  

Each year we have an incredible response from both the students who participate in the show and the visitors to the exhibition.  The students truly put their best work forward for the exhibit.  The works submitted by the students range widely in media – from the more traditional painting and charcoal to new genres, such as computer generated art and film.  This breadth not only speaks to the expanse of ideas that art represents, but also speaks to the quality of instruction at our area high schools and the talent that is emerging within our community. 

We look forward to the annual awards reception when there is always a wonderful turnout of artists, parents, and friends enjoying the exhibition’s opening.   As always, this promises to be quite an event!  Beyond the reward of having their work exhibited several of the artists will be presented with awards during the opening.  More significant than any of the prizes or the competition is the process of creating that all the artists share in and grow through! 

The Holland Arts Council is proud of the quality of programming we offer to the community. Art exhibition is an important means whereby the Holland Area Arts Council can showcase and share quality art with the community. Involving our area’s youth in our Début exhibition is the essence of our mission.