The Center for the Arts reported to the Lapeer Downtown Development Authority that it received a $23,000 grant from the Lapeer County Community Foundation toward a new sound system for the PICS Theater. Combined with endowment spendable funds and additional grants from the Michigan Arts and Culture Council and the Elks Lodge of Lapeer, the center expects the new sound system to be installed over the December–January break.

Jill (Center for the Arts representative) told the board that the gallery’s current show, the Art of Jan Dale, opened Sept. 26, and that the center served 65 patrons for classes in September and has had 1,170 patrons to open the new PICS season so far. The center also reported screening the Oakdale documentary to a combined audience of 541 across two showings earlier in the fall and plans to show the documentary again on Feb. 6.

Jill described professional development at the Midwest Arts Expo and said the center averages 40–50 contracts per year for programming, noting the organization’s unusually active presenting schedule for a rural community.

The board did not act on funding or policy related to the Center for the Arts at the meeting; the center will proceed with installations and repairs as scheduled and return to the DDA for any future requests related to facility improvements.