The Arts Council of Greater Grand Rapids (ACGGR) was organized in 1967. Local arts advocates proposed a Community Arts Council to the Junior League's Project Finding Committee, which set up a committee to form the council, with Mrs. Robert (Jan) Blaich serving as chairman. The first meeting was held on January 4, 1967 and was attended by members of the Junior League, Saint Cecilia Music Society and the Grand Rapids Art Museum, Symphony, Public Museum and Civic Theatre. In April, the name Arts Council of Greater Grand Rapids was chosen.

The Arts Council was developed to promote the arts in Grand Rapids and to support arts organizations. For the first few years, the Arts Council focused on running Festival of the Arts (started in 1970) and a united fund drive (started in 1972). The Arts Council was initially run entirely by a volunteer board, filled mainly by members of local arts organizations. In 1974, the Arts Council hired its first Executive Director. The organization continued to expand, growing in membership, staff and functions.

Throughout its existence, the Arts Council conducted fundraising, distributed grants to arts organizations, advocated for the arts locally and at the state level and ran arts education programs. They also supported arts groups with workshops, database support and other services. As a Preliminary Management Report (August 1989) states, the Arts Council was "a provider of services to the arts community, including the general promotion of the arts in the region.” They did not play a significant role in arts programming, because of the quality of existing programs.

The Arts Council ceased operations in 2012 after a strategic planning process found no compelling reason to continue. Their assets of over $500,000 were distributed to local artists and organizations.

Managing/Executive Director:

Dr. Ralph Kohlhoff, August 1974-1975

Lois Poppen (Interim Director), 1975

Tom Heywood, December 1975-1989

David Marty, September 1992-1996

Tami Ramaker, 1996-August 2002

Iliana Ordaz-Jeffries, August 2002- November 2008

Caroline Older, October 2008 - 2012

Festival of the Arts is a three-day arts festival held in downtown Grand Rapids the first weekend in June. It features musical performances, food booths and activities. Festival was started by members of the Arts Council. The "possibility of an arts festival" was discussed in early Arts Council meetings, in March 1967. The first Festival of the Arts was held in 1970. It continued to be run under the Arts Council umbrella through 2002, when Festival was incorporated as a separate 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

The award was given once a year, during Festival of the Arts, to “an individual or an organization believed to have made a significant and lasting contribution to the cultural life of the community.” The selection was made by a committee of the Arts Council. Both the committee members and the nominees were kept secret. The award plaque was designed by sculptor Joseph Kinnebrew. The first award was presented to Albert P. Smith in 1971.

A photographic portrait of the winner was taken each year by David LaClaire. The portraits hung in the offices of the Arts Council for many years. They were moved to the North Foyer of the Grand Center/DeVos Hall in 1993.

The Combined Arts Campaign was started in 1972. The Arts Council conducted fundraising for the arts in Grand Rapids and distributed the money to local arts organizations. It was “originally conceived of as a United Way for the arts in Grand Rapids. Principle funders sought to limit the fund-raising efforts of individual groups through this campaign.”* This approach ultimately failed for many reasons, including the need for larger organizations to raise funds exceeding what they received from the CAC. In 1996, the CAC was refocused on arts organizations with budgets under $1 million, as well as on individual artists (Individual Artist Fund).

*Preliminary Management Report, August 1989 (Box 12, Folder 1)