Flint Institute of Arts
 The Flint Institute of Arts, also known as FIA. | |
| Established | 1928 |
|---|---|
| Location | Flint, Michigan |
| Coordinates | 43°01′21″N 83°40′40″W / 43.02237°N 83.67778°W |
| Type | Art museum |
| Collection size | 8,000+ |
| Visitors | 160,000 (Annually) |
| Director | John B. Henry |
| Website | flintarts.org |
The Flint Institute of Arts, also called FIA, is located in the Flint Cultural Center in Flint, Michigan. The second largest art museum in Michigan, it offers exhibitions, interpretive programs, film screenings, concerts, lectures, family events and educational outreach programs to people of various ages, serving over 160,000 adults and children a year.[1]
History
The Flint Institute of Arts was established in 1928 by leaders in the community who wanted a place where students could pursue art courses and the community could enjoy exhibitions.[2] In 1958, FIA moved to its current location in the Flint Cultural Center. After a much needed renovation in 2005, the current facility is 150,000 sq. ft., with over 25,000 sq. ft. of gallery space.
About
The Flint Institute of Arts is the second largest art museum in the State of Michigan and one of the largest museum art schools in the nation. Each year, more than 160,000 people visit the FIA’s galleries (free of charge) and participate in FIA programs and services.
For more than 85 years, the FIA has been responsible for acquiring, protecting and presenting a collection of art and artifacts spanning continents and 5,000 years. The world-renowned collection, which now exceeds 8,000 objects, is significant for its depth of important European and American paintings and sculptures, 15th century to the present, and its extensive holdings of decorative and applied arts including important ethnographic study collections dating back five millennia.
The FIA promotes the power of the visual arts by providing lifelong learning opportunities to engage and educate a diverse regional audience. The FIA is committed to making art available, approachable, and accessible to all through a broad range of interpretive programs that allow multiple ways of accessing information on the permanent collection and temporary exhibitions through guided tours; lectures and community dialogues; art classes, workshops and studio demonstrations; gallery, studio, and outreach programs for PreK-12, Head Start and homeschool students; films and videos; print, audio, and multimedia resources. Films and videos shown in the FIA’s 330 seat Theater are selected to appeal to three distinct audiences: adults, college students, and senior citizens. Printed exhibition and collection catalogues, gallery guides, school brochures, audio guide entries, and online resources are produced to enhance educational opportunities for the broadest possible audience.
The FIA Art School runs at full capacity from 9:00a to 9:00p with an annual enrollment of more than 1,700 students. The Art School remains dedicated to the educational enlightenment of the public through formal studio instruction in drawing, painting, photography, mixed media, printmaking, ceramics, glass mosaic, fiber, and metal sculpture. The school also provides summer camps for youth, free family activities, and a pre-college portfolio development program for gifted high school students.
Accreditation & Grants/Awards
Accreditations
American Association of Museums (now the American Alliance of Museums)
Grants/Awards
2002
- collection was designated a National Treasure by the President's Committee on the Arts.
2007
- received the Governor’s Award for Arts and Cultural Organization
2007
- received a $800,000 grant from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation[3]
2009
- received a $5,000 grant from McLaren Regional Medical Center[4]
2010
- received two grant awards totaling $7,500 from the Martha Merkley-Youth Charitable Trust administered by Citizens Bank Wealth Management[5]
2014
- Three grants totaling $10,000 was recently awarded to the Flint Institute of Arts to support educational programs from the Stella & Frederick Loeb Charitable Trust, the Merkley-Youth Charitable and the Merkley-Elderly Charitable Trust administered by FirstMerit Bank.[6]
- (FIA) Art School was awarded a $15,000 grant from the James A. Welch Foundation in support of the Pre-College Portfolio Development Program (PDP) for the 2014/2015 academic year.[7]
The Collection and Exhibitions
The permanent collection includes more than 8,000 works of art.[8] Highlights of the collection include: 15th to 18th century English, French, and Italian decorative arts, a rare shaped panel by Peter Paul Rubens, a complete set of 17th century French tapestries; American and French Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings, Hudson River School paintings, Regional and Great Lakes paintings, and Abstract Expressionist and Photorealist paintings.
The Flint Institute of Arts has assembled outstanding collections of American, European, Native American, African, and Asian art including paintings, sculptures, prints, drawings, and decorative arts.
Some of the renowned artists that are featured in the collection are Auguste Renoir, John Singer Sargent, Mary Cassatt, Thomas Hart Benton, Andrew Wyeth, Duane Hanson, and Barbara Sorensen.[9]
FIA also has multiple exhibitions that it puts on during the year. Some exhibitions that have been featured are Picasso, Richard Florsheim, Toulouse-Lautrec, and Judy Pfaff.
Visiting the Flint Institute of Arts
Location: 1120 East Kearsley Street Flint, Michigan 48503
Hours:
| Day | Hours |
|---|---|
| Monday | 12:00pm–5:00pm |
| Tuesday | 12:00pm–5:00pm |
| Wednesday | 12:00pm–5:00pm |
| Thursday | 12:00pm–5:00pm |
| Friday | 12:00pm–7:30pm |
| Saturday | 10:00am–5:00pm |
| Sunday | 1:00pm–5:00pm |
Admission price:[10]
Permanent Collection-Free
Special Temporary Exhibitions
FIA members-Free
Children 12 & under-Free
Adults-$7.00
Students with ID-$5.00
Senior citizens-$5.00
Saturday are free, thanks to FirstMerit.
Membership
FIA Membership FIA members enjoy special privileges to exhibitions, films, events, lectures, art classes, and much more. A membership will support and continue to sustain one of Michigan's most valuable cultural assets. The Flint Institute of Arts' enduring success has been reflected in the unwavering commitment of those who believe that cultural institutions benefit the entire community.
College Town Membership
A College town membership is a FREE membership to the Flint Institute of Arts and we accept students from any university in the nation. A College Town membership includes FREE admission everyday to all exhibitions and lectures, discounted admission to FIA feature films, discounts in The Palette Café and Museum Shop, and so much more! [11]
References
- ↑ http://flintarts.org/museum/about.html
- ↑ http://www.michigan.org/Property/Detail.aspx?p=G5053
- ↑ http://www.mott.org/news/newsreleases/20071119FCC.aspx
- ↑ http://www.mlive.com/entertainment/flint/index.ssf/2011/03/mclaren_art_therapy_program_re.html
- ↑ http://www.mlive.com/entertainment/flint/index.ssf/2010/04/flint_institute_of_arts_reciev.html
- ↑ http://flintarts.org/pdfs/press_releases/2014/edugrants14.pdf
- ↑ http://flintarts.org/pdfs/press_releases/2014/welchgrant.pdf
- ↑ http://www.michigan.org/Property/Detail.aspx?p=G5053
- ↑ http://flintarts.org/art/collections/
- ↑ http://flintarts.org/visit
- ↑ http://flintarts.org/join