For 15 years, Media Arts Council (MAC) has been a leader in the Delaware County arts scene- programming everything from a fine art gallery, the Media Film Festival , and a multitude of live performances, from professional music to community poetry readings, craft making to protest art. Formerly residing next to Sterling Pig at the west entrance to Media, they have been in the building since 2014 but are currently moving to a new space on State Street! A larger home on State Street in the heart of Media allows MAC to make the arts the true beacon of a welcoming and diverse downtown.
The new space on State Street will create more opportunities for MAC to engage with residents and visitors in Media. The two buildings are about the same square footage; however, MAC will now have two large rooms allowing for twice as much programming. The rear entrance to the building on Jasper Street will enable hosting two events simultaneously, or perhaps a livestream while another event is happening in the other room. MAC is extremely thrilled to be in a new space that is in a more prominent spot allowing for more walking traffic off of State Street.
Program Director Jared Reed and Executive Director Liz McClearn are very excited to see how this new space will transform MAC. Liz is most excited about the ability to have something on State Street centering around arts and culture. The new building will be more of an incubation space. Whereas the previous space was mostly for visual arts as a gallery space, this new space hopes to be a place where MAC can test out their art in front of a live audience and they look forward to bringing in a variety of performing artists.
“To be able to be that kind of culture maker in Media is really fun. I am excited to be able to serve a variety of artists and bring a variety of people into the space,” says Liz.
In addition, as we enter a post-Covid world filled with hope, MAC feels they have an opportunity, and an obligation, to re-examine and re-invent how art and culture venues serve the public, offering art that supports the realities of people’s modern lives and tastes, as well as being partners with the local economy.
“Our conception will augment what is already happening in Media. They can come in either before dinner or after dinner. We want to be a partner with everything that is already going on on State Street,” remarks the MAC Program Director Jared Reed.
MAC will be hosting a variety of events in their new space prior to it’s official opening in January of 2022. In December they hosted a Holiday art show, an ornament and craft making event, a one man A Christmas Carol reading and on January 7th they will be hosting their first concert. Starting in the spring, they will be beginning their educational programming for all ages and artforms. You can view all of their events on the website here.
MAC relies heavily on donations from the community. Your support brings top-talent artists to Media (something good for you) and helps bring great art to everyone in our community (something good for everyone else). You can help build a place of arts and culture that makes Media the place to go for experiences that grow us as human beings and connect our community in bonds of joy and creativity. Click here to donate today.