The Saugatuck Center for the Arts began with the notion that a great arts community should have a robust art center – and that a robust art center could, in turn, help create an even more vibrant community.
Back in 2003, a group of area leaders – with a passion for the arts – coalesced around an abandoned pie factory. Their vision included adaptive reuse of the building (a cool idea that was spot on!) and a programming mix that included a broad array of options for all ages. Ultimately the goal was to become an arts, economic, and social “hub” for the Saugatuck-Douglas communities and larger West Michigan community.
A decade later the SCA is living into that key idea. We serve up year-round arts-and-cultural opportunities for children and adults from live performances and professional theatre to film and lecture series to exhibitions and classes. And we run a weekly Greenmarket June through October.
Along the way we’ve built dynamic partnerships with schools and libraries, local governmental units, regional businesses, and lots of other arts & cultural and environmental non-profits in West Michigan and beyond. We absolutely believe that “more is more” – and that mostly get accomplished by working with smart, innovative partners.