Serving Art and Culture in Flint & Genesee

For decades the Flint Cultural Center has been a destination in Flint & Genesee. It has served as an anchor to arts and culture for the community and has evolved to meet the needs of the present as well as the future. With so many updates happening over the last few years, now is a great time to visit.

Located just outside of the heart of the city, the Flint Cultural Center campus features seven institutions and the Applewood estate, formerly the home of the Charles Stewart Mott family. Below, discover the local institutions you can visit on the Flint Cultural Center campus. The FIM Whiting Auditorium featured performances from such past legends as George Carlin and modern greats like Jack White and created a reputation for hosting Flint & Genesee’s most awe-inspiring events throughout its history. Whether it be beloved musicals, must-see stage plays, live performances from touring acts, or a show by the Flint Symphony Orchestra, the Whiting has the acoustics to match its beautiful interior.

Across the street from the Whiting is the Flint Repertory Theatre, the cultural center campuses’ home for theater productions, both local and national. While both nurturing area creatives behind the scenes and on the stage as well as bringing in larger productions, the Flint Repertory Theatre makes sure that it reflects stories of a grand and also intimate nature.

One of the biggest changes to the Cultural Center area is the Gloria Coles Flint Public Library, which just completed a massive renovation and has been updated to better serve the community. Featuring a modern look, the space offers many meeting spaces for the community, enrichment events, up-to-date technology for use, a Teen Zone as well as a large children’s section, and books for all reading levels. The public is able to not only check out books but CDs, or movies, they can also look through their genealogical collection. With its updated interior and exterior, the library has re-solidified its place in the community.

For those that tend to look to the sky and stars, Longway Planetarium is the place to go. Featuring a state-of-the-art sound and projection system, the planetarium offers an always rotating series of shows about the earth, sky, and stars beyond, bringing all of it to the audience in surround. There are even music-focused planetarium shows as well, for those looking to sink into their seat and swim into the stars.

The Flint Institute of Arts has gained a reputation as one of the best art museums not just in our region but the whole state, and its recent updates only solidify that. Featuring several galleries, rotating exhibits, a theater for movies and lectures, a small black box space for rotating art films, art classes, and so much more. With a mix of contemporary and classic art styles, the Flint Institute of Arts gives a wonderful view of how art has been with us since the beginning, how it is a part of our culture, and how it remains a vibrant part of our story. Some of the newest additions to the museum are sections that feature contemporary ceramics and glasswork and a new gallery that focuses on African American artists and African Diaspora.

The Sloan Museum of Discovery is another facility that recently unveiled a large renovation that changed the entirety of the space. Updating the exterior and interior, it boasts several all-new interactive galleries that will have kids excited about learning without even realizing they are. There are also areas for kids to play as well in the Hagerman Street Early Childhood Learning gallery. This isn’t all about the children though, as the beloved Durant Gallery, featuring historic and rare cars, is on display, as well as the History Gallery which brings local history to life. The newly unveiled Fun Gallery is a large space for traveling exhibitions, the first of which being REAL BODIES: The Exhibition, which will feature a fascinating look at the human body as an art form and will be on display from July 7, 2023 – January 14, 2024.

Finally, the Applewood Estate is a patch of tranquil beauty that makes you forget you are in a city. Featuring beautiful gardens, a water feature, and gorgeous flowers, Applewood is a glimpse into the life of one of Flint’s most impactful figures. The former home of the Mott family, the space has become a place for teaching their history as well as preserving local stories. The inside is available for guided tours and shows off what life was like for the Mott family. The gardens have become a wonderful teaching opportunity as people of all ages learn how to create and maintain specific landscapes. The estate is also home to the Mott apple, a breed grown only there, and offered to visitors during special events.

To visitors near or far looking to spend a day, evening, or longer enjoying history, culture, and the arts, there is no better place to go than the Flint Cultural Center. With much of this sprawling campus updated to meet the needs of today and tomorrow, it remains one of the jewels of Flint & Genesee.