Reason #2 - We’re Connected to the Community - Top 10 reasons why the Madden Arts Center is a vital part of downtown Decatur

Ten years after the Madden Arts Center began its role as a community arts center, we have compiled a list of the top 10 reasons why it is a vital part of downtown Decatur.  I’m addressing these reasons in a series of posts as the Decatur Area Arts Council gears up for events celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Madden Arts Center in August 2014

Reason #2 - We’re Connected to the Community

When you come to the Madden Arts Center for a gallery exhibit, a drawing class, or a performance, you may notice offices on the first, second, and third floors.  Some really important work is being done for our community in these offices by the Community Foundation of Macon County, the Education Coalition of Macon County, and, of course, the Decatur Area Arts Council.

A major goal that these three groups share is improving the quality of life in our community.  Quality of life can mean a lot of things, but shouldn’t be confused with the idea of standard of living, which is based mainly on income.  The quality of our lives has to do with our personal goals and the ability to make them happen.

The Decatur Area Arts Council’s office is on the first floor.  DAAC introduces and promotes the arts, enhances arts educational opportunities, and increases the impact of and access to the arts to improve the quality of life in the community.  Over the past 10 years, an average of 1,000 kids and adults every month have enjoyed exhibits, classes, performances, meetings, and more, in the Madden Arts Center.  But we don’t just coordinate the activities inside the MAC.  The building also serves as our home base when we reach out into the community with great programs like the Performing Arts Series for Students (PASS), community arts grants, and Arts in Central Park.

On the second floor, the Community Foundation of Macon County is the center for both philanthropy and nonprofit groups working to improve the quality of life (there it is again) in Macon County.  The folks at the Community Foundation help generous people in our community identify important needs, educate them on how they can help, and figure out how their giving can have the greatest impact.  Being downtown in the Madden Arts Center puts them close to many of the businesses, banks, attorneys, and non-profit groups that are part of all this.

The Education Coalition of Macon County is on the third floor.  EdCo was created by the Community Foundation to improve the (you guessed it) quality of life in our community by helping our kids learn at higher levels and prepare for their futures.  Involving educators, parents, business, and others outside the school room is the key to making this happen and having a place in the middle of town to meet and plan is a big plus.

Having these three organizations under one roof is a powerful thing.  Our programs compliment and reinforce each other, increasing our ability to (say it with me) improve the quality of life in our community.  The fact that we can just walk up or down the stairs to coordinate our plans, share some new information, or get a bit of advice makes that a whole lot easier.


Thanks,
Jerry Johnson
Executive Director
Decatur Area Arts Council

Reason #1 - It’s the Place the Arts Call Home - Top 10 reasons why the Madden Arts Center is a vital part of downtown Decatur

Ten years after the Madden Arts Center began its role as a community arts center, we have compiled a list of the top 10 reasons why it is a vital part of downtown Decatur.  I’m addressing these reasons in a series of posts as the Decatur Area Arts Council gears up for events celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Madden Arts Center in August 2014.

Reason #1 - It’s the place for art to call home

Lots of people get involved in the arts because they love to sing or paint or act or play music.  For them, it’s more than just a hobby.  It’s their passion.  They often seek out people with the same passion and band together to share know how and practice their art.  That’s how many of our local arts groups were born.

A group of artists began meeting in the carriage house/barn at the James Millikin Homestead and became the Barn Colony Artists.  A few actors decided to start their own troupe over drinks at a local establishment and called themselves Theatre 7.  Some local residents banded together to support and promote the music they loved and founded the Symphony Orchestra Guild of Decatur.

But being a local arts organization isn’t easy.  You need people to keep things on track, recruit members, plan activities, and raise money.  You also need a place to meet, rehearse, display their work, and store your stuff.  Moving from one temporary place to another just doesn’t cut it.  You need a home.

Many of these local arts groups have found that “home” at the Madden Arts Center.  The 150-year-old Decatur Municipal Band went from rehearsing in church basements to the spacious third floor of the MAC, where they even store some of their equipment and most of their music library.

The Barn Colony Artists meet weekly in the second floor Barnett Studio, which has the equipment and space for them to share and practice their talents.  They also proudly fill the elegant Anne Lloyd Gallery with the artwork they’ve created each year during their annual show,

Another group of local artists, the Gallery 510 Arts Guild, holds meetings and offers programs at the MAC, along with hosting exhibits by artists ranging from talented kids to juried professionals.

Several performing arts groups, Theatre 7, Juvae Jazz Society, Opus 24 Choral Society, and the Symphony Orchestra Guild, don’t have a box office, so they sell tickets to their events out of the MAC.  Business and historical records for several of these groups are even stored in the building rather than risk being lost as they pass from member to member.

The Madden Arts Center is an inviting, secure, centrally-located building dedicated to supporting the arts in our community with space and resources for storage, meetings, programs, and rehearsals.  The fact that all of this is offered to arts groups, at a very low cost, only adds to the peace of mind they get knowing that they have a place to call home.

Thanks,
Jerry Johnson

Executive Director

Decatur Area Arts Council