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Artrain USA, Ann Arbor, MI

When Artrain USA chugs into town, communities are changed. Housed in vintage train cars and pulled by locomotives, the traveling museum brings world-class art exhibitions to communities across the country that may have little or no access to art museums.

Nancy Coumoundouros (Common-DOOR-us) is the cultural arts supervisor for the cities of Farmington Hills and Farmington, Michigan. She got her start in arts management as a community volunteer in Waterford, Michigan, preparing for a visit from Artrain in 1994. The visit was a great success and Waterford Township learned it had previously untapped abilities. “Artrain in Waterford” led directly to the creation of the Waterford Cultural Council. Nancy, who became that organization’s first executive director and has gone on to a successful career in arts management, says of the Artrain project, “Never before had so many different elements in our township been involved in such a great collaborative project, and our many skeptics had to admit it verged on a miracle.” Nancy is a graduate of the University of Michigan, mother of two and grandmother of three, and currently serves on the governing board of ArtServe Michigan.

Debra Polich has served as President/CEO of Artrain USA since 1993. She has led Artrain USA’s most recent exhibition projects including Native Views: Influences of Modern Culture; Artistry of Space: The NASA Art Program in partnership with NASA and the National Air and Space Museum; and Art in Celebration! in partnership with the Smithsonian Institution. Polich has 20 years of nonprofit arts experience and is involved with arts and cultural organizations in Ann Arbor, the State of Michigan, and nationally.