History

More than thirty years ago, in the midst of a national arts renaissance, Artrain USA was conceptualized by a group of arts activists who believed that the arts should be available to everyone, everywhere. Inspired by Mr. E. Ray Scott and Mrs. Helen Milliken, a former First Lady of Michigan, Artrain USA was created by the Michigan Council for the Arts (MCA) as its inaugural program. The goal of the Michigan Artrain (our original name) was to provide opportunities to under-represented, rural and low-income Michigan residents through art and art education and to encourage the development of local arts councils. Intended as a short-lived, statewide program, Artrain welcomed 191,000 visitors in 28 cities our first year.

News of Artrain USA quickly spread beyond Michigan’s borders. Within two years, MCA received requests from other states to share the unique art museum. The need for our programs, across the country, surprised even our founders. With help from the National Endowment for the Arts, Artrain launched our first tour outside of Michigan in 1973. Building on this momentum, the Michigan Artrain was incorporated as Artrain, Inc., an independent non-profit in 1975. The Artrain USA name was adopted in 1999 to better reflect its unique ability to share art programs with all regions of the nation linked by rail.

Today, Artrain USA is recognized as a leader and pioneer in taking art exhibition, art education and outreach programs to communities through the United States. Since 1971, Artrain USA has completed more than 845 community visits from coast-to-coast and welcomed 3.2 million visitors!

Please check back soon for updates on the future of Artrain USA!