Detroit's Carr Center at risk of closing, struggles to recover post-pandemic

Detroit's Carr Center at risk of closing its doors

The institution, which is also the public face of the non-profit "Arts League of Michigan," faced several challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic.

DETROIT (FOX 2) - For over three decades, The Carr Center in Midtown has uplifted and supported Detroit’s vibrant Black arts community. However, the art gallery is now at risk of closing its doors.

The Carr Center exposes people to new art, and educates them, while promoting artists and preserving African-American culture.

"We're trying to raise $600,000 to be able to take care of previous debt and to finish off the construction of our performance studio," said Oliver Ragsdale Jr., the president & CEO of The Carr Center.

The institution, which is also the public face of the non-profit "Arts League of Michigan," faced several challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic – much like many other businesses.

Fewer visitors over the past three to four years has affected funding, which the center is in dire need of to keep programs running.

Some of the issues include "not being able to have earned income, donations went down, not having as big of a public face as you might want to have with people coming through the doors and having the experiences," Ragsdale said.

(Provided by the Carr Center)

But there’s no giving up.

During the pandemic, "we began to produce a series of digital programs called ‘Duos and Duets’ and we filmed artists around the country, in different situations, all socially separated in studios," the president and CEO said.

Since moving into the historic Rackham building in the heart of Midtown, the center has opened its doors to thousands of different artists – some emerging, and some seasoned.

"We've had internationally renowned artists who are both from Detroit and those who come to Detroit to be a part of Arts League and the Carr Center experiences," Ragsdale said. "That means dancers, that means musicians, that means visual artists, that means filmmakers, that means poets. … It's the whole universe.

"It's very different to see a concert in a space that is an African-American focused space than it is to see it in a traditional concert hall. The experience is different, both in terms of what the presentation is, but (also) how people participate, how audiences participate."