Since 1978, GLPAA has been seeking out and carefully selecting talented artists from the Great Lakes region to join its roster. The Great Lakes region includes: MI, OH, IL, IN, WI, MN, Western NY, and Western PA. GLPAA offers these high caliber artists at affordable fees to regional performing arts presenters, which enables a greater and more diverse population to experience the live performing arts.

GLPAA also brings educational programs to the region with a special focus on underserved communities hoping to both cultivate and inspire the audiences of the future. The National Endowment for the Arts described GLPAA as “a resource unlike any other.”