Preliminary Case for Support of the MMAS Arts and Cultural Center Project
The mission statement of the Mansfield Music and Arts Society (MMAS) is ?To foster the arts in Southeastern Massachusetts and provide a home for them in our community.? To that end, we are planning the construction of a new arts and cultural center, a state-of- the-art facility with a 140-seat theater, art gallery, studio space and residential units in which artists will live and work. With this new facility, our capacity will be increased, allowing us to bring arts programming, education and productions to an even greater number of area residents. Under the guidance of FCI New England, we are currently conducting a feasibility study to determine our capacity to raise $5 million to construct this center.
Since 1993, MMAS has offered visual- and performing-arts programming for children, teens, adults and seniors through high-quality educational offerings and performances in theater, music, film and dance. We currently produce between eight and ten professional-level theatrical shows each year in our 60-seat Black Box Theatre, host the annual Southern Mass. Arts Festival, and offer summer and after-school educational programs for area residents of all ages.
With the depletion of arts programming in area school districts, MMAS has filled a great community need by providing visual- and performing-arts education for more than 300 area students over the course of the past six years. MMAS offers scholarships to children from at-risk families, ensuring that no child is denied exposure to the arts for lack of funding.
Approximately ten percent of the children who take part in our educational programs and productions are special-needs students. Our instructors work with them individually, allowing them to participate fully, perform to the best of their abilities, and feel proud of their accomplishments. When they are truly included as full members of a class or a cast, they (and everyone around them) begin to understand that every individual has something to offer for the betterment of the community. Making the arts accessible to all members of our community is an accomplishment of which we are tremendously proud, and is a responsibility we take very seriously.
In fourteen years, MMAS' membership has grown from the original ten founders
to a thriving and active organization with members from every state in New England. Members and guests alike attend our theatrical productions, art shows, classes and recitals. These patrons visit other town businesses, and contribute to the revitalization of downtown Mansfield. The recently approved Massachusetts state budget includes a $50,000 appropriation for MMAS because of the positive economic impact we have in the region. "It is smart money, and it will return to the state in terms of economic activity in Mansfield Center," said State Senator James Timilty.
The construction of a new regional arts and cultural center, where artists from
many disciplines can live, teach and exhibit their craft, will increase cultural tourism, become a valuable asset in the revitalization of the downtown area and provide a magnet attraction for residents from Mansfield and beyond. In November of 2006, the townspeople of Mansfield voted to allow the Board of Selectmen to sell town-owned land in the heart of the downtown area to MMAS for as little as one dollar for the purpose of building an arts and cultural center. The planned facility will provide economic and cultural benefits to the area, allow MMAS to expand organizational capacity and become self-sustaining. The New England Repertory Company and other area organizations will benefit from having access to all the amenities the center will offer. We will realize increased revenue from a larger capacity theater, while the income provided by studio rentals and the sixteen artists' residences will help offset the cost of day-to-day operations for MMAS. The resident artists of our arts and cultural center will share their expertise with arts students of all ages and abilities, creating a unique opportunity for quality arts education in the area.
When MMAS was recently awarded a grant from the Patrick-Murray Inaugural Committee, Co-chairman Elizabeth Morningstar noted that MMAS represents the kind of civic engagement we would like to foster. That our independent review committee chose MMAS serves as a testament to the valuable and needed work they are doing in their community.
With the expanded space and facilities a new arts and cultural center will provide, imagine how much more we can achieve for the betterment of the entire region. |
