ST. JOSEPH, Mich. -- The Krasl Art Center in St. Joe is asking for your help as it prepares to transform its property.

The art center is looking to raise $50,000 to go toward a $1.7 million project that will turn the center’s front yard into a community space built around art.

The current fundraiser is called the ‘Team Lotus Campaign’ – named after the hippo sculpture that sits outside the center.

The goal is to redevelop the property so that it’s more accessible, and so visitors can get up close and personal with artwork featured outside.

Every dollar raised between now and December 1 will be matched by three separate local organizations.

“We’re hoping that through this grounds redevelopment project, people will find a way to engage with the arts in their own terms and on their own time,” said Julia Gourley, the executive director of the Krasl Art Center. “We truly feel that by bringing the mission outdoors, we can have a more meaningful impact on a larger group of people.”

The project will break ground in the spring and should be completed in about a year.

You can learn more about it – and donate – by clicking here.