As an umbrella organization, the Arts Council retained records relating to numerous local arts organizations. This makes the collection useful not only for information pertaining to the Arts Council itself but also for many other groups. The collection also provides valuable information on the art scene in Grand Rapids in general and how it has changed and evolved over the years.

Where possible, the original order and provenance of the files was maintained. For the most part, though, the files were not received in sufficient order to make this possible. The Arts Education Initiative files were received in the most complete order and fewer changes were made.

The collection includes board minutes, subject files, reports, financial records, ephemera, images, video and audio. The ephemera, images, video and audio are particularly helpful in providing coverage of local arts organizations. The collection covers the entire lifespan of the Arts Council, from 1967 through 2012. The bulk of the content is from the 1990s and 2000s.