Lions & Rabbits Center for the Arts

Last year’s Giving Day was a spark of both opportunity and affirmation for our work. The immediate access to funding was a timely boost, allowing us to strengthen our day-to-day operations. Equally, or even more meaningful were the connections we surfaced with other leaders and organizations. Those fresh partnerships have translated into new collaborations and resource-sharing that continue to reinforce our programs.

Our work addresses a critical gap: communities often have neither a clear roadmap for holistically and creatively transforming their public space, nor the creative leaders prepared to guide that work long-term. If resources were unlimited, we would expand our current approach—our Colorful Pathways program framework—all across Michigan and eventually nationwide and internationally. We would accelerate the development of strategic placemaking plans tailored to each locality, ensuring that every neighborhood has a creative blueprint for safer, more welcoming public spaces. At the same time, we would train local artists and organizers so that creative placemaking becomes both a catalyst for economic growth and a sustainable career path.

We aim to raise $10,000, which we’ll put toward supporting our Colorful Pathways program, so we can continue providing creative leadership and strategic planning to communities across Michigan. The public sees the murals, street festivals, and art activations, but behind those visible successes is a daily process of coordinating artists, managing logistics, building partnerships, and ensuring every project aligns with local needs. These often-invisible costs are vital to keeping our work effective. By strengthening our program’s operational capacity, we can maintain our commitment to guiding local leaders, helping them bring transformative placemaking to life in their own neighborhoods.

"That's what I consider true generosity: You give your all, and yet you always feel as if it costs you nothing."— Simone de Beauvoir