Creative Art Society

About Us

Creative Art Society

The Creative Art Society, a non-profit 501 (c) (4). As of 2019, two local art groups joined together to form the Creative Art Society; Art Ambience, with over 30 years of art shows, and Downriver Arts & Crafts Guild with over 50 years of supporting and promoting local artists.

The Creative Art Society's mission is to foster appreciation of art and artistic growth through exhibitions and educational opportunities for its members. To extend cultural enrichment to the community by exhibiting our artist's works at public locations in various venues around Wayne County and the Downriver area and surrounding counties to stress the value and importance of art in the world. We also offer Scholarships to students who want to pursue a degree in the arts.

We offer low-cost workshops to members and the public; such as the Golden Paint Co. seminar, Fused glass workshop, acrylic painting, watercolor, and ink with paint.

During our monthly meetings, we have art presentations on various mediums by a working artist. (Examples are clay work by Linda Buck, and Joan Smykowski, painting demonstrations by Nora Chapa Mendoza, Laura Whitesides Host, Leslie Masters, sculpture demonstration by Austin Bradley, and glass mosaics by Michelle Sider).

Also, during our art shows, we offer free art demonstrations and information for Wayne County Community College District classes and local community education classes.

Our major art shows are Art Ambience, held at the Woodhaven Community Center and the Fall Festival of the Arts, at the Downriver Council for the Arts in Wyandotte.

We also present the Downriver Arts and Crafts Holiday Show, held at WCCCD Downriver Campus. This is a free event for artists and crafters and is a perfect opportunity to offer their artwork and demonstrate their skills.

Our monthly meetings are free and held at the Southgate Veterans Memorial Library.
We have a short business meeting and then art demonstrations, discuss local art openings and opportunities for the artists. Like to become a member?
Contact Maureen Keast, at mkeast1@aol.com or send a text to
(734) 777-6109

President of Creative Art Society

Maureen Cassidy Keast

About Creative Art Society

In 2018, two Downriver arts organizations, the Downriver Arts & Crafts Guild and Art Ambience merged to form the Creative Art Society. The Downriver Arts & Crafts Guild (active since 1956), provided local members a social setting to exchange art ideas, techniques, and information about current art trends in the Downriver area for over 60 years.

Today’s Creative Art Society continues to promote and serve artists and students of all mediums. As a non-proﬁt, 501(c)(4) organization, the Creative Art Society is an established visual and fine arts club, encouraging the fostering of friendships through membership emphasizing continued artistic growth. Stressing the value and importance of art in our community and throughout our world, CAS produces and hosts the Art Ambiance in the Spring in Woodhaven, MI, and the Fall Festival of the Arts in Wyandotte, MI each year. Supporting artists around Wayne County and the Downriver area, the Creative Art Society aims to foster the appreciation of art and artistic growth for its members and supporters.

Art Photo “A Penny For Your Thoughts” by Laura Mocnik; Pastel

CAS board members: Judy Nelms, Treasurer, Jackie Walock; Vice President and Maureen Keast, President — CAS board members: Judy Nelms, Founding Member, Jackie Walock, and Maureen Keast

Our Goals

To promote the appreciation of art and the continuation of artistic development through art exhibitions and educational opportunities for its members and supporters. To provide diversification and cultural enrichment to our community at large by displaying our member’s creative works at various public venues located in the southeastern Michigan region of the United States to highlight the value and importance of visual and fine art in the world. To encourage and support both the appreciation and creation of fine art.

To provide financial support through scholarship opportunities to Downriver students who wish to seek visual art degrees at colleges or pursue visual art-related instruction at other schools of higher art education. To promote and support art study in Downriver schools. To promote and support various Downriver recreation department’s art program projects.