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About

For more than three decades, MICA has been producing music festivals, helping preserve and restore historic buildings, leading community revitalization efforts, exhibiting visual artists, coordinating poetry, dance and other performances that engage, inspire, catalyze and demonstrate the vitality and value of the arts community and the vibrancy of the urban centers as a great places to play, work and live.

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A 501(c)3 federally tax-exempt nonprofit organization, it has a robust volunteer base, maintains stable volunteer leadership and provides programs for the benefit of the entire community. MICA is recognized for innovative programming and is a recipient of numerous awards including the Governor’s ArtServe Award, Festival & Events Association awards, Addy awards, the Creative Community Award and many more.

Michigan JazzFest

& 

Michigan bluesFest

get your free ticket 

for this year's FREE Michigan JazzFest /

Michigan BluesFest week-long, interactive online experience!

Sept. 13-20

History

During the early 1990’s, visioning sessions led by the Business & Art Development Association, coordinated by MessageMakers and supported by the Local Initiatives Support Corporation were held to frame the values, identify key assets and develop a vision for the district. A special effort was made to engage a wide array of stakeholders from the neighborhood, including artists, property owners,business owners, residents,

 local and regional governments, the universities, historians, architects and other talents and resources from around the state and country. During the visioning process, they named the neighborhood Old Town, acknowledging its historical significance to the region and focused on developing the art, retail and

creative services sectors with an emphasis on enhancing an arts-centric community. 

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The organization also partnered with Michigan State University's Center for Community Economic Development to conduct their first Community Income and Expenditure Model Study (CIEM) to gain insight into the district’s income and expenditure ‘leakages’ and begin to identify ways to grow and retain income.  

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OtherWise Art Gallery was opened in 1992 as the organization’s headquarters. OtherWise showcased the works of artists from around the world. It hosted poetry events and for seven years was a venue for live concerts, featuring the first public performances by many startup, basement and garage bands.

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In 1994 MICA produced its first big music festival, the Art & OctoberFest and in 1995 its first Lansing JazzFest and years later started Michigan BluesFest.

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In 1995, MICA wrote a grant and obtained funding from the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation to enable Old Town to be among the first six urban Mainstreet communities in the United States. To manage the Mainstreet program, MICA helped start the Old Town Commercial Association (OTCA) in 1996 and worked to obtain funding from the City of Lansing and the Principal Shopping District to support the startup phase of the Mainstreet program. 

During that same time and on the urging of then Mayor David Hollister, MICA restored a set of three buildings, which included low and moderate income loft apartments, a business incubator, and offi ces, These buildings are now home for the Arts Council of Greater Lansing, MICA and MICA Art Gallery.

MICA is recognized for innovative programming and is a recipient of numerous awards including the Governor’s ArtServe Award, Festival & Events Association awards, Addy awards, the Creative Community Award and many more.

A 501(c)3 federally tax-exempt nonprofi t organization, it has a robust volunteer base, maintains stable volunteer leadership and provides programs for the benefi t of the entire community. It is funded through the support of sponsors, donations and grants.

For more than three decades, MICA has been producing music festivals, helping preserve and restore historic buildings, leading community revitalization efforts, exhibiting visual artists, coordinating poetry, dance and other performances that engage, inspire, catalyze and demonstrate the vitality and value of the arts community and the vibrancy of the urban centers as a great places to play, work and live.