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PCAC
  • Home
  • About
    • Staff and Board
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    • PCAC In The News
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PCAC Past and Present

WHO WE ARE TODAY

Since 1964, the Pontiac Creative Arts Center (PCAC), a 501(c)3 non-profit, has continued its mission of “Cultivating arts and culture in the community through exhibitions, education, and outreach.” 

Ongoing exhibits are presented, workshops and classes are offered, and various community events are held throughout the year.

Youth, adult, and special programming keep the PCAC an active art hub in Pontiac and Southeast Michigan.
Picture of the Pontiac Creative Arts Center building taken from outside on the street. The front of the building features an arch around the front door and windows.
For over 50 years, the Pontiac Creative Arts Center has served the community in a variety of creative ways. ​
In 2018, the PCAC averaged 800 visitors per month with classes in drawing, painting, sculpture, wood turning, dance, drumming and ceramics. ​

Funding for the Pontiac Creative Arts Center comes from several sources including the Furlong Trust and the National Endowment for the Arts.

They also receive money from grants, special fundraisers, donations, memberships, and an ongoing support from the community.

OUR HISTORY

FOR THE LOVE OF LIFE AND ART

Picture of Harold Arthur Furlong in his military uniform. He was in the military as a young man and this photo reflects that. He is standing next to a United States of America flag.
Dr. Harold Arthur Furlong 
Harold Arthur Furlong (August 25, 1895 – July 27, 1987) was a United States Army First Lieutenant and a recipient of the United States Military’s highest decoration in 1919, the Medal of Honor, for his brave actions in France during World War I. After earning the Medal of Honor, he joined the Michigan National Guard, retiring in May 1946.
This historic image is from February 9, 1919 and includes the PCAC founder Harold Furlong. He is standing with other military men. They are receiving Medals of Honor for their brave actions in France during World War 1.  They are lined up in front of a building. The photo is black and white.
​Once he retired from the military, he went back to school to become an obstetrician. He was associated with Pontiac General Hospital. For more than 50 years, Furlong was on the staff of Pontiac General Hospital. He developed the obstetrics and gynecology unit at the hospital, and in 1982, the Harold A. Furlong Maternity Unit was named in his honor.
 
″He was just a great example - everyone looked up to him, ″ said Dr. David Calver, chairman of the unit, who took over Furlong’s practice. ″Those were difficult shoes to fill. ″
 
In 1964, Dr. Harold Furlong established the Pontiac Creative Arts Center. The Furlong Trust was created and named in his honor and is funded by prominent citizens of Oakland County. He believed passionately that people deserved a place in their community where they could see, learn about, and experience art.
​
Known for his passion of life and art, Furlong left his legacy in the city of Pontiac through the hospital and the art center. In an interview in 1959 Dr. Furlong said “Personally, I’m just happy to be a doctor and would just as soon not be written up in the newspaper as a war hero.” He died in 1987 at the age of 91 and is buried in Oak Hill Cemetery in Pontiac.
This is a historic image of the Pontiac Creative Arts Center. It is a black and white photo of the building taken outdoors and shows the stone base and brick walls of the building as well as windows with arches at the top and a front entrance area. There is a caption that says

The Pontiac Creative Arts Center 

The historic building was completed in 1898 as the Pontiac Public Library. When the library moved to Wide Track in the early 60's, this edifice was incorporated as a non-profit art center through the efforts of Dr. Harold Furlong.
This historic picture of the Pontiac Creative Arts Center was taken around 1920 and it this time the building housed the Pontiac Public Library. The photo was touched up with color and reflects young, newly planted trees, and a dirt road in front of the building.
MISSION STATEMENT

Cultivating arts and culture in the community through exhibitions, education, and outreach.
VISION STATEMENT

Capturing the spirit of the community through sharing and learning in the arts.
STAFF AND BOARD

Learn more about the people who make the Pontiac Creative Arts Center so special.
PCAC MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION
This is a black and white image of the PCAC building and has the PCAC logo in red letters.

Gallery Hours

Wednesday
​12:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Friday
10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Saturday 
11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
​​And by appointment

Contact

Address
47 Williams Street

​Pontiac, Michigan 48341
Phone
​248-333-7849
Email
PCACdirector@gmail.com
​​
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