About Us
bringing equitable, innovative, and inclusive arts experiences to our community.
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Our Story
On the grand opening night of The Village Theater in 2004, Township Supervisor Tom Yack told the Leisure Services Director that they now needed to acquire the abandoned national historic parcel just down the street. His proposal was to turn the property into a venue similar to the Torpedo Factory in Alexandria, Virginia, a warehouse with studios, gallery, boutiques, and eateries. His vision was to develop a social arts district with The Village Theater and the Village Arts Factory being the anchors of Cherry Hill Village.
The Village Arts Factory property is located just one block west of The Village Theater at Cherry Hill in the heart of Canton’s National Historic Cherry Hill Village District. “The Village” is also home to one of the Midwest’s largest neo-traditional housing communities. The development of the Village Arts Factory provided the community with an opportunity to save and repurpose two historic structures that are on the National Registry of Historic Places. The recently opened Arts Warehouse is now a vibrant space that integrates arts, culture, and creativity, and encourages commercial and economic revitalization in downtown Cherry Hill Village.
Our Resident Tenants
1. jump-a-rama
Jump-A-Rama Gymnastics & Fitness Center is the newest addition to the Jump-A-Rama family. We offer Parent/Child classes, Kid and Adult fitness classes, Drop-In play times, Adaptive classes, Summer Camps, Birthday Parties and Special Events!
2. Personal pilates & fitness
Personal Pilates & Fitness offers students the unique experience of a boutique Fitness Studio. Our Studio offers Small Group Classes: Pilates Reformer/Tower, Pilates Suspension (Bodhi), Barre, Strength Training, and Cardio-Fitness Classes.
3A. D & M Art studio
D & M Art Studio offers art classes for all ages. Our owner and director, Sharon Lee Dillenbeck, is a graduate of the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. As an award-winning artist, her works hang in private homes nationwide and she is a frequent exhibitor throughout Southeastern Michigan.
3B. schwartzy photos
Schwartzy Photos is a full fledged Portrait Studio and the personal gallery of owner Chad Schwartzenberger. From nature to landscapes, beautiful photographs are on display for sale and your viewing pleasure. For Chad, capturing the world around him is his passion, specifically natural photography.
4. cherry hill potters guild
The Cherry Hill Potters Guild is a diverse community of clay artists who love their craft. We spread knowledge, appreciation, and enjoyment of handmade pottery through classes, community events, and exhibitions. We accomplish this in a collaborative, harmonious, and supportive work environment; encouraging individuality while promoting the sharing of expertise.
5. Cookies & More LLC
Sheila Morales is a cookie artist who creates custom decorated sugar cookies for all occasions. She offers a wide array of classes, workshops, parties, and tutorials both in person and online. From large corporate orders to small, private parties, Cookies & More will elevate your next gathering with eye-popping treats of the highest artistic caliber.
6. & 7. MOD MARKET
Mod Market is an artisan market and unique gift shop located in Northville, Michigan which provides employment training for adults with autism or related challenges.
Our satellite location at the Village Arts Factory is our soap-making studio where our Mod Market artisans craft the soap and bath products sold in downtown Northville and the Inn at St. John’s. Stop by to see the artists at work!
8. Partnership Office
The Partnership for the Arts & Humanities is a nonprofit organization with a mission to develop a culture of the arts and humanities in southeast Michigan. We operate the historic Village Arts Factory in the heart of Cherry Hill Village. Founded in 1998, the Partnership has played an active role in funding and developing arts programs in Canton Township and beyond.
9. & 10. skincare socialclub
SkinCare SocialClub is a bath and body care boutique and lab that focuses on small batch handcrafted skincare products. The studio offers whipped body butters, body scrubs, and a host of other products that encourage selfcare and evoke joy. ‘Make & Take’ sessions, workshops, parties, and tutorials are available for small groups.
11. good vision photos
We are a photography and arts studio that offers services such as portraiture, family photos, weddings, portfolio building, graduation photos, infant and child sessions, holiday pictures, product photos, and more. We also offer paint and sketch classes!
13. flowing script
Flowing Script is an ever-growing journey of incorporating Islamic, Arabic, and English calligraphy into different mediums in different ways. Painting calligraphy onto canvases, adding an Islamic twist to Western farmhouse pieces through calligraphy, burning calligraphy onto natural woods through pyrography, and incorporating Islamic/Arabesque geometric patterns to the calligraphy are what I specialize in.
14 & 15. True 2 you llc
True 2 You is a candle studio and fragrance blend bar where you can create your own custom fragrance blends for candles. At True 2 You LLC we offer candle making sessions, parties (on and off site), and wholesale candle manufacturing. Blending candles is what we do at True 2 You!
12. smokey citrine
We are Smokey Citrine Fine Art and Jewelry, an artist-duo from Detroit with a passion for creating works that elevate the mind and spirit in some way. We create a wide variety of jewelry and accessories containing pure metals, natural materials, and unique gemstones that are ethically sourced from miners and associate collectors around the globe. We also make leather goods, lifestyle products, herbal teas, and a variety of art that ranges from photography, paintings, and illustrations, to 3D animations and AR/VR experiences.
16. reigning motion dance company
Reigning Motion Dance Company strives to build a foundation of technique and stage presence to allow a dancer to ‘Reign’ on stage. Our mission is to provide professional dance instruction and instill an appreciation for the art of dance in a safe, high-quality studio environment. Reigning Motion is an award-winning dance company and home to dancers of all ages!
Interested in taking a class at the Arts Warehouse?
Classes, workshops, and hours of operation are handled by each individual tenant through their websites or by contacting them directly. The 17,500 square foot warehouse serves as a multi-purpose arts studio complex, gallery display space, and collaborative incubator for visual artists and creative movement instructors. The Arts Warehouse offers the public opportunities to take classes and workshops, view artists at work, immerse themselves in art exhibits, and purchase art when available.
Village Arts Factory
Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
The Partnership for the Arts and Humanities is committed to a diverse, inclusive, and equitable environment where all board members, staff, volunteers, tenants, patrons, and guests feel respected and valued regardless of gender, age, race, ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation or identity, disability, education, or any other potential bias.
We are committed to being nondiscriminatory and providing equal opportunities for employment, volunteering, and advancement in all areas of our work.
We respect the value that diverse life experiences bring to our board, leadership, and staff, and we strive to listen to their views and give them value.
We are committed to modeling diversity, inclusion, and equity, and maintaining fair and equal treatment in all of the work we do.
Square Feet
The Arts Warehouse is divided into private studio space, a fine art gallery, points of connectivity, and a main gathering hall.
Studios
Each studio in the Arts Warehouse is unique in its design and configuration. The studios are leased to our resident artists.
Small Businesses
Our studios are currently rented and operated by a variety of small, local businesses, ranging from arts to dance and fitness.
Staff Members
The Arts Warehouse is operated by the Partnership for the Arts & Humanities, a local non-profit organization founded in 1996.
annual visitors
The Arts Warehouse draws hundreds of visitors every week who participate in arts and fitness classes and workshops.
Counties
Visitors and participants in our programs come from Wayne, Washtenaw, Monroe, Oakland, and Livingston counties.
community events
The Village Arts Factory hosts over four dozen community events and workshops each year at the Arts Warehouse.
Years
The Village Arts Factory opened its doors to the public in March of 2020. Since that time, we’ve grown into a vibrant arts campus.
Meet Our Staff
Kevin Ryan
Community Program Director
Jessica Gallina
Administrative Manager
Gabbi Dolin
Program Coordinator
Meet Our Board
Tom Yack
Board Chair
Jonathan LaFever
Vice Chair
Ann Conklin
Past Chair
Daniel Fisher
Treasurer
Michael Siegrist
Director
Herb Scott
Director
Greg Demopoulos
Director
Mark Waldbauer
Director
A Letter from the Board
Thank you for visiting our website! On behalf of the Partnership for the Arts Board, we invite you to learn more about the Village Arts Factory, a truly beautiful and unique space where the community comes together and art and history come alive!
We encourage you to look around and discover the wealth of exciting programs and opportunities that we have to offer. Learn more about the incredibly talented creative industry small businesses that call our Arts Warehouse home…Perhaps it will inspire an in-person visit to take a class, or to shop their wares or services.
Discover ways to volunteer with us or support our Veterans’ Dormitory. Learn more about our gallery space and upcoming exhibitions. Find a special event, a pop-up concert, a cultural celebration, or an artist market to add to your calendar. Explore the history of our very special property and our incredibly exciting development plans for the future. Maybe even take a moment to learn more about the exclusive benefits of an annual membership with us.
Communities that are active in the arts have a stronger sense of identity, are better equipped to cope in times of crisis, are quicker to find pathways to economic regeneration, and have residents that experience less loneliness and isolation. The arts can be a powerful agent of change, innovation, and community-building, and the Village Arts Factory is proud to play an important role in supporting artists and the arts in our region. We hope that you will find new ways to engage with us and to support the arts as well! Click around and be sure to schedule a visit with us soon!
In Appreciation,
Tom Yack
Tom Yack, Board Chair
Our Partners & Sponsors
- Raman Pharmacy
- MSA Transportation
- MASCO
- Moving the Mitten
- Blink Eyecare
- IHA Medical Group
- Cassia Pan
- Community Financial CU
- Maraschinos Pub
- National Heritage Academies
- Mans Lumber & Millwork
- Home Depot
- Westland Car Care
- Jack Demmer Ford
- Blackwell Ford
- Fishbeck Engineering
- Dearborn Real Estate
- Ashley Capital
- Alpha Graphics Canton
- Mannik and Smith
- Cherry Hill Potters Guild
- The Paciocco Companies
- Wade Trim
- Lisa Rozum
- Tom & Barb Yack
- JoAnn Haddad
- IBEX Insurance
- Carolyn Farmer
Give Today
Get In Touch
Location
Suite 10
Canton, MI 48188
Phone
(734) 765-7061
vaf@partnershipforarts.org