Champions of the arts, WMU alumni Lynn Chen-Zhang and Charles Zhang win Kalamazoo arts council award
KALAMAZOO, Mich.—A power couple that empowers the arts to thrive in Kalamazoo, Lynn Chen-Zhang, M.S.’91, a Western Michigan University trustee, and Charles Zhang, M.A.’91, are being lauded for their philanthropy. The Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo announced its 2025 Community Arts Awards recipients today, honoring the Zhangs’ company, wealth management firm Zhang Financial, with the Business Arts Award.
“These honorees demonstrate how the arts build belonging, fuel learning and shape a vibrant community,” says Kristen Chesak, executive director of the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo. “Their work shows what is possible when talent and generosity move in step with purpose.”
The Business Arts Award recognizes leadership, commitment and vision in building partnerships with artists and institutions. Zhang Financial, where Zhang is founder and president and Chen-Zhang is CEO, supports several arts organizations throughout the community, from Western’s School of Theatre and Dance to the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, Gilmore Piano Festival and many more.
“Zhang Financial’s support directly impacts youth and students at WMU and throughout Kalamazoo County,” wrote representatives from Western’s School of Theatre and Dance and Miller Auditorium in their nomination. “Their sponsorship of the WMU Theatre Guild President’s Performance provides essential financial resources for theatre students to complete their degrees and prepare them for a career in the arts.”
The company also helps grow audiences and expand engagement in the arts by regularly purchasing and distributing event and performance tickets to colleagues, clients and friends.
“This breadth of commitment ensures that the arts in Kalamazoo not only survive but thrive,” the nominators wrote. “(The Zhangs’) visible support has strengthened arts organizations, attracted new patrons and contributed to the region’s reputation as a vibrant cultural hub."
In 2025, Miller Auditorium named its theatre the Zhang Theatre in honor of Zhang Financial’s long-standing partnership, which includes the company’s role as presenting sponsor of the Broadway in West Michigan series since 2018.
“Leadership by example is central. Charles and Lynn Zhang personally attend, advocate, and serve in advisory capacities, underscoring that arts patronage is not just corporate giving, but part of the firm’s ethos,” nominators for the Business Arts Award wrote. “In doing so, they create a ripple effect that inspires others in the business sector to integrate the arts into their own organizational culture.”
Well-known philanthropists who recently received another honor recognizing their broad impact, the couple has deep ties to WMU as alumni and as generous benefactors to a number of University efforts.
A celebration honoring the Zhangs and all the 2025 Community Arts Awards honorees is planned for Tuesday, Dec. 9, at the Lake Auditorium on Kalamazoo Valley Community College’s Texas Township campus. The event is free to the public, but RSVPs are encouraged.
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