You’re familiar with our work: murals, storm drains, and electrical boxes. Maybe you’ve been to a street party, an After Dark, or an artist vendor market. You’ll know, then, that Lions and Rabbits Center for the Arts believes in building and strengthening our communities through art. What you might not know is that all of these public art initiatives require so much more work than what you see in the murals and at street parties and vendor markets. A great deal of work goes into making all of this possible, behind-the-scenes things that take months, or even years, to properly plan and facilitate.

Sometimes it’s obvious! Finding artists, location scouting, managing supplies, and artist compensation. But much of the work is unseen, unthought of even. From negotiating with a railway company to establishing a council for the arts, insurance and permits, or heavy equipment training, Lions & Rabbits dedicates hundreds of hours to making public art possible. As a nonprofit, our work is entirely made possible through the generosity of giving. Building strong relationships with potential donors and sponsors is essential to continuing our work. You can imagine that much of our time is committed to that enormous task along side everything else. A dinner party fundraiser, much more intimate than the galas that make up much of the donor event space, can be an excellent way for Lions & Rabbits to make connections in a more meaningful way.

If you’re interested in helping, consider inviting some of your fellow art lovers to come meet Lions & Rabbits and learn more about our work. We’ll help coordinate and plan the fundraiser with you, but we need your help to meet new donors and build lasting connections. Together we can continue to reshape West Michigan through art, community, and creative placemaking!