Why the MAC Matters
Why The MAC Matters. Always.
This is the third installment of a 3-part series. Be sure to read Why Art Matters. Always. & Why Community Matters. Always. right here on our blog https://milfordarts.org/our-blog
Art matters. Community matters. Always.
Now why does the MAC matter?
Let’s begin with a few facts.
The MAC:
attracts the best and brightest to the community
drives the economy with increased GDP, jobs, & economic activity
improves community well-being
provides meaning, impact, growth, & transformation to life
offers space for community conversation and discourse
empowers and gives voice to the voiceless
expands creative idea generation, problem-solving, vision
Certified in 1972 as a 501c3, Milford Arts Council is the only full service arts organization in the state of Connecticut (and perhaps beyond) that presents and supports each and every art form, from live music and theatre to visual arts, dance, the written word, and so much more.
Our staff and volunteers work tirelessly to make arts experiences happen. That’s over 220 days/nights of programming, touching over 12,000 people of all walks and ages each and every year. And now, by going virtual, we’ve expanded our reach by the thousands.
The MAC is home
The MAC is a safe and accessible home to hundreds of performers and artists. It’s a place for visual and performing artists to both practice and present their art. It’s also home to arts lovers or anyone interested in experiencing the arts, up close and personal in a warm and intimate setting. With open arms, we welcome everyone to our home as a space to come together, to be together.
It is very important to us that the MAC is not just about entertainment consumption. We are a movement, supporting community and economic growth.
Many studies have shown that people desire and are moving into communities that are vibrant and alive with arts and culture. The MAC has put Milford on the map in this regard with public art and rich arts experiences.
The arts mean business. So do we.
It's not just a phrase, it's a fact. Our staff, patrons, artists, performers, and volunteers are regulars at our local restaurants and shops. Our sponsors are in turn supported and acknowledged by our reach physically, regionally and on social media.
The world is but a canvas to the imagination. Henry David Thoreau
With our unique brand of creative problem solving and idea generation, we collaborate on ideas and events to help vision tomorrow for all of us, for the entire city. The MAC works closely with our business districts, Chamber of Commerce, and Tourism & Economic Development Commissions. We support burgeoning artists by investing in our local students with scholarships through our endowment.
We’re always seeking to create thought leaders, innovators, and creative problem solvers for the future.
The MAC undergirds the arts community beyond our umbrella of committees, providing the physical home to Pantochino Productions and their home-grown musical theatre, the Irish Heritage Society’s Tara Theatre, and various programs such as Tango, Nia Dance & Movement, and Yoga retreats. The MAC gives support, voice and awareness to other local non-profits with our venue spaces and event development.
Healthy, thriving people create healthy, thriving communities.
In addition to economic growth, the MAC offers programs that help the community to connect, converse, grow, and transform. We seek to spark curiosity. We want to provide hope, peace, joy, connection, comfort. Community well-being is improved dramatically where the arts are front and center.
By offering space for people to come together and have meaningful collective experiences, the MAC often fosters awakenings. It empowers people to use their voice and connect on a deeper level. It bridges divides. It encourages us to ‘co-create’ within our living space, which is every bit as important to the vitality of a community. This is one of those unspoken, intangible outcomes of the arts that leads to healthy community identity and growth.
The MAC is about so much more than entertainment.
We weave into the community on so many levels, helping it to shine and pulse with energy. We are a huge and invaluable part of the ‘small city with a big heart.’
We are the heart of the arts.