WMCAT

The National Endowment for the Arts has awarded two West Michigan organizations with grants supporting educational programming. Nearly 1,600 organizations submitted Art Works applications to the National Endowment for the Arts. Of the 977 grants awarded, only two West Michigan-based institutions received a portion of the $80 million Arts Endowment.

Grand Rapids City officials gathered Wednesday to cut the ribbon on the West Michigan Center for Arts and Technology’s (WMCAT) new westside headquarters on First St. The new 22,000 square foot facility is nearly double the size of WMCAT’s previous main office downtown, and provides after-school and summer arts and technology programs, as well as career training in medical coding, medical billing and pharmacy technician fields to under and unemployed adults.

Daniel Williams is the CEO and President of WMCAT. He says the new space is about more than just a bigger building.

WMCAT's Adult Career Training program provides access to economic security. We talk to Program Director Jamon Alexander for details. 

WMCAT was invited to the White House and presented with the nation's highest honor for creative youth development programs by the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities. We speak with those involved.

WMCAT is expanding and we talk about the Capital Campaign and the dollars needed to seal the deal for this Westside move. Development Director Louise Edison of the West Michigan Center for Arts and Technology is our guest.