Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Exhibitions
The gallery showcases quality art, which represents the diversity of contemporary work currently created by Michigan artists. Throughout our history, we have provided more than 500 free juried visual art exhibitions to the Lansing and statewide community. We are committed to produce work of outstanding quality through a process that is ethical, fair and reasonable.
Retail Gallery
Our retail gallery features the works of over 100 Michigan artists. From fine art to fine craft, the Gallery Shop boasts a large collection of Michigan-made jewelry, glass, sculpture, paintings, pottery, and wearable art ranging in style.
In addition, the Gallery Shop offers a lease to own program, which is a great advantage for artist and patron alike. It provides support to Michigan artists and offers the art collector with a broad selection of fine art available on easy terms.
Clients may lease artwork for up to 6 months, with monthly payments. At the end of six months, they may return the artwork and owe nothing more. If they choose to keep the artwork, they may deduct 100% of the lease payments from the purchase price, pay the balance, and own the artwork.
Educational Programming
Education - Lansing Art Gallery, long recognized for its educational mission in the community, coordinates a variety of educational programs. The gallery provides arts education through guided tours and workshops, artist demonstrations, discussions, and instruction experiences for youth and adults. LAG’s education outreach teaches students within all socioeconomic levels the importance of arts and culture and encourages future support and community involvement.
LAG strives to improve the lives of local youth through involvement in the arts; studies show arts involvement can improve participant graduation rates by up to 53% (1999 National Educational Longitudinal Study). The graduation rate for many districts in the Lansing area is 17% below the national average. (Center for Educational Performance and Information). For thirty years, LAG has provided learning opportunities for more than 12,000 young people who have received over 53,500 hours of art instruction.
LAG offers on-site instruction with qualified teaching artists in a dedicated education space which hosts up to fifteen students per session. Workshops are available for all ages and skill levels. Focusing on experimentation and technique, workshops offer creative experiences through a variety of high-quality media and subject matter. On-site instruction includes: guided tour/workshops, Teen and Adult Workshops, and Girl Scout Workshops and Summer Art Camp. For cost-based workshops, LAG offers scholarships.
Art Scholarship Alert (ASA) – For the past thirty years, LAG has coordinated and hosted an annual high school portfolio exhibition and scholarship competition. This competitive process has led to over $100,000 in scholarships awarded at a student reception and award ceremony, over 28,682 portfolios submitted, and 3,500 student artworks exhibited.
Artist in Residence offers free art classes to students in the Lansing area elementary schools, where eighty percent are classified as low income according to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. This program focuses on the opportunity for students to gain instruction from teaching artists, who engage students through media techniques and vocabulary. Additionally, the program offers an opportunity for a docent guided LAG tour and a student art exhibit held at LAG. Participants represent a diverse population in racial, ethnic, and economic backgrounds.
Where we work
External reviews

Photos
Videos
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Founded in 1965, Lansing Art Gallery (LAG) “provides public awareness, education and enjoyment of the visual arts by promoting the works of Michigan artists.“ LAG Board of Directors and staff are committed to showcasing quality art, which represents the diversity of contemporary work currently created by Michigan artists.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Lansing Art Gallery & Education Center's board members are highly qualified representatives of the community who demonstrate perspectives that align with the organizations goals, strategies, and needs. The board is actively engaged, donating more than hundreds of hours of time annually and working to become fiscally stable through additional fund development, such as annual and legacy giving. We provide readily available information online, including plans and documents, which assist funders in evaluating the organization's legitimacy, organizational health, and operational management.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
We are pleased to offer our team's artful expertise to the Capital City! Employees are knowledgeable and serve as resources for the community regarding the arts.
Leadership:
Barb Whitney serves as the Executive Director of Lansing Art Gallery and Education Center, where she is responsible for leadership, management, fund development, and public relations. After fifteen years witnessing art in action, Barb sincerely believes in the power of art to change lives and build community. A passionate arts advocate, Barb presents locally, statewide, and nationally.
The Board must be fiscally responsible, ensuring that the Gallery has sufficient funds to carry out its mission and to build a solid base for the future. steps forward to suggest, manage and promote events to maintain their financial objective. Personal involvement is most evident and essential. Board members have perspectives that align with the organizational goals, strategies, and needs. The board composition blends skill sets, expertise, community connections, and diverse perspectives. Board members are expected to fulfill four dimensions of leadership: governance, giving, ambassadorship, and consulting.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Increased attendance and participation grow annually. In-kind contributions each year include art supplies and materials, equipment, and advertising. Each year, the gallery works to build audience and increase donations, sponsorships, and annual giving. As a part of long-term strategic planning, the gallery will launch a legacy campaign, which will include new opportunities for planned giving.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We share the feedback we received with the people we serve
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback, We don’t have the right technology to collect and aggregate feedback efficiently, Staff find it hard to prioritize feedback collection and review due to lack of time
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Lansing Art Gallery & Education Center
Board of directorsas of 06/05/2023
Keith Rouse
Michigan State University
Term: 2019 - 2024
Keith Rouse
Michigan State University
Danielle Deneau
Michigan State University Federal Credit Union
Mickey Hadick
AF Group
Becky Ten Brink
Michigan State University
Laurie Lonsdorf
Michigan Small Business Development Center
Kim Long
Kalamazoo Institute of Arts
Brian Whitfield
Artist, graphic designer
Rachel Beatty
Hyacinth HouseGraphic Desige
Ryan Ranspach
Finance
Emily Winsninski
Attorney, Foster Swift, Collins
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data
Equity strategies
Last updated: 06/05/2023GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
- We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.