Our Mission:

The mission of the AuSable Artisan Village is to initiate and support art and creative activities that enrich lives and fuel cultural and economic development of the Grayling community and Northern Michigan region.

Our History:

Established in 2010 and rooted in community arts efforts dating to 2007, the AuSable Artisan Village opened its first gallery in downtown Grayling in 2011, transforming a vacant 5,000-square-foot building into a nonprofit community arts hub with classes and live performances against the backdrop of work by Michigan artists. In 2024, the AuSable Artisan Village expanded to a second downtown location featuring a performing arts stage and ceramics studio, growing its capacity for concerts, theatre performances, exhibitions, and hands-on classes for all ages.

Our Structure:

The AuSable Artisan Village is almost entirely volunteer-driven, supported by a dedicated Board, one full-time Executive Director, and over 40 active volunteers who staff our galleries, run events, and support programming year-round. The AuSable Artisan Village currently displays work from more than 70 Michigan artists across its two gallery locations and hosts more than 100 classes and dozens of performances annually, making it one of the primary providers of accessible arts education and cultural programming in Crawford County.