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Though it has a thriving arts community, Dexter doesn’t have an arts center of its own. Pam O’Hara and Lisa Wandres hope to change that.

O’Hara and Wandres, owners of Artistica studio, 3203 Broad St., Dexter, have flirted with the idea of establishing an arts center for a year.

The two will lead a meeting at the Dexter District Library at 6:30 p.m. Thursday hoping to answer their logistical questions and attract others interested in an arts center.

Arts center meeting

  • Where: Dexter District Library, 3255 Alpine St.
  • When: 6:30 p.m. Thursday, July 28
“People come in and ask if we offer classes, and we thought it would be great,” O’Hara said. “We haven’t found a place, so we’re looking to find a permanent home.”

O’Hara said the center would primarily be used for classes, but she envisions artists using the center for exhibitions too. The facility’s usage is one of the questions for which she hopes gets some clarification.

Other logistical items will be discussed at the meeting too. O’Hara is unsure how much money would be required for the center's establishment or plans for fundraising.

O’Hara and Wandres would like to start applying for non-profit status soon.

“It will mostly be brainstorming and what can you bring to the table,” O’Hara said. “We hope that we have some direction, find out what people are thinking and if there are other people that are in alignment with us and have the same vision.”

A survey by the Washtenaw County Arts Alliance found that Dexter had the highest percentage (1.8 percent) of its population classified as working artists of any community in the county.

“We have no idea how many will be there,” O’Hara said. “People we’ve told this to have been very receptive.”

Brian Vernellis is a reporter for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at 734-623-4617 or brianvernellis@annarbor.com.

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