the Carr Center | Inspire. Entertain. Challenge. Educate.

Click HERE for Carr Center Safety Policies and Protocols. Wearing a Mask is required to enter the gallery!

Coming Up @ The Carr Center

May 22 “dUOS & dUETS: part 6”
The jazz mastery of Danilo Pérez and Terri Lyne Carrington plus the iconic poet, Sonia Sanchez.
Get Tickets

June 4 The In Between : Artist Talk Back
What did the pandemic mean to your artistic practice? a conversation with Mariam Ezzat and Tony Rave.
Register Now

June 19 The Gathering Orchestra in a Cultural Exchange
Three years in the making our Gathering Orchestra Nonet performs with Uralskiy Dixieland Ensemble from Cleyabinsk, Russia
Register Now

2021 Youth Arts Competition Winners Announced!

The six talented Senior and Junior Awardees of the Carr Center’s “A New Awakening” Arts Competition have been announced.

The In Between Artist Talk Back #2

Join us on June 4th at 5 PM EST, for a dialogue with two of the exhibiting artists of the current exhibition in the Carr Virtual Center, The In Between.

Congratulations Terri Lyne Carrington 2021 Jazz Master!

Our Artistic Director receives the Nation’s Highest Jazz Honor! and we could not be prouder!
Read More

“Sitting here in the Blues Capitol … Memphis. Blues Foundation is one block from me. Ya’ll been jammin! Thank you Carr Center and sponsors! Great show!!!”

Emma Lockridge,
attended “Thornetta Davis… Detroit’s Queen of the Blues” in Concert

Loved this talk! So glad I could tune in, thank you for answering questions.

Amber B.,
attended “Reflections on Ritual” Artist TalkBack

“Hi y’all! Nice to be in the same place with you again, listening to Thornetta Davis-Anderson… Play that slide Brett Lucas! Y’all are the best!”

Nicole DeLano,
attended ” Thornetta Davis… Queen of the Blues” in Concert

“It’s billed as “Duo +1″, but I’m seeing multiple saxes, trumpet, as well as Terri singing and playing multiple instruments. We really get our money’s worth this time!”

Douglas Carleton,
attended “dUOS & dUETS: Jack DeJohnette & Terri Lyne Carrington”

“The Carr Center ROCKS!”

Corky Warren,
attended “Thornetta Davis… Detroit’s Queen of the Blues” in Concert

Who We Are

the Carr Center leverages the essence of the African American cultural experience to inspire, entertain, challenge and educate. It is a place where artists, across all disciplines, and community come together. We accomplish our mission through three core programs:

the Carr Center Contemporary, The Carr Center Arts Academy and the Carr Center Presents….

Our Mission

the Carr Center is devoted to the preservation, presentation, promotion and development of the African and African American cultural arts traditions within our multicultural community.

Inspire

You cannot touch inspiration but you can feel it. Inspiration is what motivates and drives creativity. Our goal is to inspire creativity in artists, our patrons, and our community through the presentation and teaching of African American cultural arts traditions.

Entertain

To be entertained is a gift from artists and performers to their audiences.

It is a gift of emotion, joy and inspiration. In every presentation, the Carr Center aims to be a platform for unmerited giving.

Challenge

Challenging someone builds strength, character and confidence. All of these nouns are essential to nurturing personal growth. The Carr Center challenges and nurtures both artists and audiences, in order to help them grow.

Educate

Education is power. The Carr Center creates opportunities for unique educational experiences in order to preserve African and African American cultural arts traditions and empower future generations to make new traditions their own.