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