Projects & Programs
Wagner Performing Arts Center
Performance Venue and Historic Landmark
In 2012, the M.A.C. entered into an agreement with the Monroe School District to take on the management of the historic Wagner Performing Arts Center (WPAC). Since then, with the help of many community volunteers and local businesses, the M.A.C. has undertaken repairs and renovations with the goal of returning the long-neglected facility to its former glory. While much remains to be done, today the WPAC is once again in use by the community and the school district. Read more here about the history of the WPAC.
Projects of this magnitude cannot come to fruition all on their own. It takes generous donations from local businesses and residents in the community in order to see a project like this come to life. Please visit our DONATIONS page to help support this worthy community cause.
Movies Under the Moon
In Partnership with the YMCA and Monroe Parks & Recreation
Since its inception, the M.A.C. has been a proud co-sponsor of Movies Under the Moon, together with the YMCA and Monroe Parks & Recreation. On Friday nights in August, outdoor movies are shown free of charge at Lake Tye Park. Crafts and activities for kids 12 and under are offered starting at 8 pm, and free popcorn is provided during the movie! Monroe’s Parks & Recreation department supplies an outdoor screen and the movie selections. It is an amazing opportunity to spend the evening with family and friends, see a movie and be creative all within a few short hours!
Community Keys
In 2017 the M.A.C. sponsored this fun project to bring brightly painted pianos to public locations around Monroe. You never know when a passerby will be inspired to put on an impromptu public concert! The Boys & Girls Club and Sharina Bean’s coffee shop on Main Street were our first installations. We hope to soon bring more pianos to a corner near you!
Scholarships
for Students Pursuing Careers in the Arts
Each year the M.A.C. sets aside scholarship funds for select seniors from the Monroe school district who are planning to pursue higher education in the visual or performing arts.
#ArtUpMonroe
In 2017 the M.A.C. raised community awareness of local public art with an innovative on-line scavenger hunt. Publishing monthly clues in riddle form on Facebook, the M.A.C. challenged the public to solve the riddle, locate the mystery art piece, then post a selfie with the art piece on our Facebook page. And yes, there were prizes! Want to try your hand, Sherlock? We have plenty of other art installations to stump you with in the future.
Follow us on Facebook for the next challenge!
Public Art and Murals
The M.A.C.’s first funded project was an iconic 80-ft. long mural in historic downtown Monroe, depicting local underwater river life and painted by renowned local mural artist David Hose. This mural signifies the city’s establishment at the confluence of two beautiful rivers and illustrates the annual return of the salmon. The mural is an educational and aesthetically pleasing point of interest for tourists, school-aged children and residents alike. It is painted on the north side of the building at 207 N. Lewis Street in downtown Monroe.