Dear Members and Friends,
 
Meadville Council on the Arts (MCA) has long been a tradition in Meadville, and for many of us a part of our lives. The founders of the organization sought out a suitable location and built with their own hands and resources much of what we relate to as Meadville Council on the Arts today. The Arts Council provides a venue for art sales, art exhibition, and also the performing arts like dance, music, theatre, and exercise. Youth and elder alike rely on MCA for classes, guidance, and fellowship with artists, performers, and the community.

In an average year, Meadville Council on the Arts operated on an approximate budget of $45,000.00. In years past, Pennsylvania Council on the Arts supported MCA through annual grants of about $11,000.00 a year. In recent years, this funding dwindled to $3,200.00. With the continued state budget problems, we hear on the news that next year will possibly be even less, and the fear continues that it could be lost altogether!

Meadville Council on the Arts cannot continue as it is currently structured – we simply do not have the resources. We are in the process of reinventing our goals and offerings, and will be relying much more heavily on volunteer support.  As you may have noticed, our open hours were reduced to Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, with volunteers there to open the gallery, answer the phone, and assist members and visitors. Nevertheless, we have been successful in maintaining, and even growing the gallery schedule and events in our theatre. We are also working hard in developing new classes.  As you can see on this website, and our Facebook site, we endeavor to keep them current, and increasingly inter-active. We have grown these two electronic mediums significantly in the past year.

We are exploring several possibilities for means of support. First and foremost is an appeal to our membership. Please support YOUR arts council. Memberships and donations are the life blood of monetary income to afford rent, utilities, insurance, and other operational expenses. To our public, we also appeal for support.  Long standing institutions such as MCA are many times taken for granted. Few stop and consider where the funding comes from for us to afford free shows, gallery displays, and other services at no cost to the community.

In addition to the aforementioned appeals, we are exploring potential relationships and partnerships with other arts based and educational organizations. Through the efforts of the Erie Council of the Arts, arts councils in northwest Pennsylvania have started joint meetings for this purpose. We strongly feel that MCA holds a valuable stake for the community in arts education, entertainment, awareness, and performance. Please allow this to continue by supporting and volunteering.

If you are a current member, please consider a special contribution. If you are a past member, please rejoin, and add a special contribution. Also, we are also looking for volunteers to assist in office hours, help with events, and serving on committees.

Imagine life without Art. The world would be a dismal place.
 
Sincerely,
Edward A. Miller, President