History
The Adrian Center for the Arts grew out of the Lenawee Council for the Visual Arts (LCVA), a non-profit organization founded by local artists in 1998 and dedicated to promoting and supporting the visual arts in Lenawee County. Founded in 2015, the ACA has as its vision to Inspire, Create and Grow. It’s mission: “Through the ACA, the visual arts flourish and are celebrated regionally. We accomplish this through passionate artists, arts education, and creative enrichment for people of all ages and abilities.”
The Adrian Center for the Arts was established on an abandoned 55-acre former state property (the Adrian Girls Training School) north of Adrian. The property was purchased by PlaneWave Instruments in 2018 who embraced the ACA and offered them a long-term lease. The Art Center uses six buildings and provides opportunities for established artists by making studios space available; for students of all ages wishing to learn about ceramics, warm and kiln glass, painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, or photography; for the public to be revitalized and empowered by the arts through ACA Gallery exhibits and Professional Artist Series.
Adrian Center for the Arts does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations.
Memberships, classes and participation is available to all people.
If accommodations would make it easier for you to participate please contact Executive Director Valerie Herr at 517-759-3005 or val.herrACAexecutivedirector@gmail.com
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Our team
Val Herr
Executive Director
Val Herr is the Executive Director of the Adrian Center for the Arts. She leads a team of exceptional artists and women to make sure that art is an important and accessible part of the community.
Pi Benio
Programming Director
Pi Benio is the Programming Director for the Adrian Center for the Arts. Pi has been an essential member of the LCVA since its beginning and founded the Adrian Center of the Arts. She has a BFA with concentration in ceramics, fibers, sculpture and art theory. Pi is a 40-year veteran professor of art at Adrian College and has received numerous awards for her work. She has been a guest lecturer and instructor at various universities and arts organizations.
Tania Mantry
Youth Programming Director
Taina is the Youth Programming Director at the Adrian Center for the Arts. Her love for painting began at age 14 and has continued to grow throughout her life. She majored in Fine Art at CCS in Detroit until she enrolled in a class called ‘Psychology of Creativity’ that inspired her to pursue art education. While teaching K-12 art for 25 years she continued to study and produce art. Taina’s art is rooted in story-telling and expressing emotional experiences. Her portraits combine symbolic content to create highly personal glimpses into the subject’s lives. She especially likes to explore the simultaneous experiences of life through layering and transparency. Taina has a studio in the 2-D Gallery studios.
Jill Shafer
Acorn Studio Director
Jill is the Acorn Studio Director at the Adrian Center for the Arts and teaches several painting classes. When not at the ACA she enjoys gardening and spending time with family. Her passion is in painting with pastels and enjoys teaching others. Jill is also an accomplished cook and enjoys cooking for others. Jill facilitates our Thursday Painting Club which is a free painting club open to our members.
Laura VanCamp
Clay Studio Director
Laura is the Clay Studio Director at the Adrian Center for the Arts. She earned her BFA in Studio Art, Ceramics at Adrian College and her MFA in Studio Arts, Ceramics at the University of South Carolina. Upon her return to Michigan, she taught at Adrian College, Henry Ford College, and the Village Potter’s Guild.
Annmarie Kallenbach
Director or Metalsmithing/Jewelry
Annemarie is the Director of Metalsmithing/Jewelry at the Adrian Center for the Arts. She is a lifelong artist who continued her art education with formal study in metalsmithing. Annemarie has expanded her skills through co-mentoring with regional artists and loves to help others find joy in their art.
Cathie Royer
Director of Letterpress/Printmaking
Catherine Royer is a painter/drawer who fell for letterpress (and printmaking) after becoming interested in book arts about 20 years ago. She’s a lifelong teacher recently retired from the art department at Adrian College. She makes art in all of these media, and often creates one-off mixed media prints which may also include drawn and painted elements.
Susan Maytch-Hager
Glass Studio Director
Susan is the Glass Studio Director at the Adrian Center for the Arts. She is an accomplished art glass beadmaker, also known as lampwork or torchwork, and teaches beadmaking and other glass techniques. Her foray into glass began in 2001 with a class she took at the Toledo Museum of Art. Susan was represented in the last seven annual juried exhibits by the International Society of Glass Beadmakers as well as several other shows, and published in Bead & Button, The Flow, Ornament, and Profitable Glass Quarterly magazines.
Julie Tomaro
Director of Volunteer Engagement
Julia Tomaro is the Director of Volunteer Engagement at the Adrian Center for the Arts. She has 40 years of experience as a K-12 art teacher and loves being a part of the ACA community. Julia is proficient in many art disciplines and enjoys volunteering for a community center that offers a diverse range of options for artists of all levels.
