What Is MICA?

The Michigan Institute for Contemporary Art (MICA) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that serves as a catalyst for community development through quality arts programming. MICA's arts programming includes MICA Gallery, Lansing JazzFest, Michigan Mosaic Music Festival, Old Town BluesFest, and Burning Desires.

We Love Old Town

We're glad to have our president, Terry Terry, included in this video about Old Town Lansing's creative impact (with thanks to Creative Impact Michigan). Old Town is a great environment for creativity and the arts.

Upcoming Events

March 2012

Kathleen Coe: A Retrospective

Experience this retrospective of the work of Kathleen Coe, a lifelong Lansing resident. The show will be open March 2-28, with the First Sunday Gallery Walk reception held Sunday, March 4 from 12-4 pm.

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Old Town Stomp Volunteer/Fundraiser Party

The annual MICA Old Town Stomp party salutes the wonderful volunteers who make our free community events possible. Join us at the Grand Café/Sir Pizza, 201 E. Grand River Ave., Lansing to kick off the 2012 season right with great music (The Alligators, Jeff Shoup Trio, and Brenda Loomis)—and the 2-5-1 Volunteer Awards! $10 donation at the door. 2011 festival volunteers attend free. All proceeds will enhance the Lansing JazzFest, Michigan Mosaic Music Festival and Old Town BluesFest.

April 2012

Grant Guimond

If you seek beauty, you will find it at the MICA Gallery April exhibition, works on canvas by one of Lansing's truly great artists, Grant Guimond. The First Sunday opening, April 1, features an artist's reception from noon to 4 pm, your chance to see the artist together with his most recent work. The show runs through April 30, 2012.

August 3-4, 2012

Lansing JazzFest
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The Lansing JazzFest is a two-day free music festival that will bring national, regional, and local acts to an audience of 15,000+ people from across Michigan and nearby states. The festival will take place in the streets of Old Town with vendors lining the streets offering ethnic food, beverages, art, clothing, and crafts, and nearby galleries and boutiques opening their doors during festival hours.

August 31-September 2, 2012

Michigan Mosaic Music Festival

Michigan Mosaic Music Festival brings LABOR Day weekend to life with music, cultural dance, fireworks, dragon boat races, car show, motorcycle show, the Mayor's Labor Walk, and more!

September 21-22, 2012

Old Town BluesFest
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The Old Town BluesFest is a two-day free music festival bringing local, regional, and national blues acts to an audience of 15,000+ people from across the region. The streets of Old Town will be filled with musicians, festival-goers, and vendors.

February 2013

Burning Desires: An Afternoon of Love Poetry

Burning Desires poster MICA Gallery celebrates Valentine's Day with this lovely performance, featuring emcee d'amour Samuel Mills, puppeteer Fred Engelgau, and poets Etta Abrahams, Kate Butler, Elaina Earl, Carol Jo Kanners, Robert Rentschler, Ruelaine Stokes, Leonora Smith and more! Doors open at noon and words start at 1:00pm. Download the poster (PDF) here.