Mackinac Art Museum

Mackinac Island has long been an inspiring place for artists to visit and hone their talents.  The current collection at the Richard and Jane Manoogian Mackinac Art Museum showcases historic treasures from the Mackinac State Historic Parks’ collections and inspires creativity in others with its class offerings, artist speakers, and art resources.  It contains many types of art from Native American woven baskets to modern-day paintings of the island by local residents.
The art museum brings together Mackinac art created over the centuries for tourists and locals to share.

When the Indian Dormitory was built on Mackinac Island, it was  an integral part of improvements to the Island.  When the United States Indian Agency called for its development in the 1836 Treaty of Washington in which the midwestern Indian nations deeded significant shares of land from Michigan’s upper and lower peninsulas to the United States.  The Indian Dormitory was constructed to house Native Americans who came to the island to receive payment as part of the provision.  However, it ceased to serve this purpose after eight years and was subsequently converted into a schoolhouse for island children.  When the front of the building was enlarged for the conversion, it then served as the Mackinac Island Public School for nearly 100 years. 

You can see Mackinac-inspired art from nearly two centuries ago to modern-day multi-media installations.  One of the earliest pieces is a fragment of decorated prehistoric pottery, recently excavated from the actual site of the art museum.   Visitors can fully immerse themselves in the art on display through the use of audiovisual and hands-on techniques and special programs.  The museum has only recently re-opened after being closed due to budget cutbacks in 2002.  Prior to that it was open to the public each summer from 1966 until 2002.   The hope is that the exhibits will spark conversations about the pieces and perhaps what visitors think the work meant to the artist, to the original viewers, and to themselves. The art museum is generously funded by the Richard & Jane Manoogian Foundation.
 

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