Current Happenings
and Announcements
at Madera County Arts Council
“Transitions:
Exploring Life through Seasons
Now on display through Friday, April 19th
Madera Theatre Project
2024 Summer season is here!
Click to the MTP page for complete details
Poetry Out Loud was held at Madera County Arts Council
February 7th.
Final Days!
Yosemite Renaissance 38 is currently on display at The Circle Gallery now through March 1st.
Stop by and see it while you can. This is Yosemite Renaissance’s final stop.
Our 2024 Circle Gallery Event and Exhibit Schedule
Madera Theatre Project is in the process of narrowing down directors and shows for our 2024 summer season.
Stay tuned!
A special thank you to all of our patrons and supporters who came out and saw Madera Theatre Project’s live stage productions this summer.
We appreciate your support of live theatre!
Look for announcements re: our Summer 2024 season – coming soon!
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Past Events and Other Information
‘My Culture, My Heritage’ exhibit was featured on ABC30 – check it out
https://abc30.com/madera-art-gallery-exhibit/11538823/
Coming up next at The Circle Gallery
The Urbanist Collective
April 22 – May 27, 2022
Theatre Arts Class at Madera County Arts Council
will return later this year…
New class to be announced soon!
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April 22, 2021
Last Day of ‘Art School at the MCAC’ was yesterday.
A good time was had by all.
Special thanks to Deborah Pepin, Marilyn Torchin and Diane Breuer for coming to The Circle Gallery and demonstrating their art for a nice group of masked up, physically distanced patrons and friends.
Thanks to our supporters, patrons and friends,
we were able to raise $1300 for Giving Tuesday.
November 1, 2020
Thanks to all who attended
Dia de Los Muertos Paint Night
with artist Logan Patterson
at San Joaquin Winery
May 13, 2020
Thanks to all of our supporters and friends who watched and donated to the
‘Un-Gala for the Arts’ on Saturday.
Special thanks to Matt Otstot, Terry and Cyndy Dolph,
Marcheta Williams, Jon Bock and Shannon Grissom
March 11, 2020
Opening of ‘Faces’ and ‘Sock Monkey Town’
With featured artist, Shannon Grissom
February 5, 2020 – Gallery Reception for
‘California Dreaming’ and ‘Life in Vivid Color’
Artists Kate Jackson and Gary Langdon joined us at the opening
A Message from Madera County Arts Council
January 14, 2020
I received some Information from Madera County Arts Council.
Can you clarify what’s happening?
Yes. As of December 13, 2019, after serving as executive director since 2016, Rochelle Noblett is no longer employed with Madera County Arts Council.
Who is there now?
Jim Kocher is our interim executive director who joins our current administrative assistant Cassie Reyes and arts education program manager, David Opfergelt as members of the Madera County Arts Council team.
Who is Jim Kocher?
Jim Kocher comes to us from Merced, where he was a board member and then Director of Communications at Playhouse Merced community theater for seven seasons. A graduate of California Lutheran University, Jim also has business management experience with Dignity Health, May Department Stores and The Walt Disney Company.
I am an artist with some of my works in the building. Is my work safe?
Yes. Madera County Arts Council is open. The gallery itself is open during our regular business hours Tuesday – Friday, 10:00am – 6:00pm. All of the works are safe and sound. The stewardship and safety of your work is important to us.
I don’t want my art being in the gallery right now, can I come by and pick it up?
Of course! Please coordinate your visit when Cassandra, David and Jim are here, and we will be happy process your outgoing artwork. Call us at (559) 661-7005.
When is your next board meeting? May I attend?
Our next board meeting is Wednesday, January 15 at 6:00 pm at Madera County Arts Council 424 N. Gateway Madera. Yes, the public is always welcome to attend our board meetings.
I’m also reading about ‘The Secara Trust.’ Can you explain more about that?
We sure can. Here is some detailed information.
Background
– In March 2013, at the Madera County Arts Council 30th anniversary party, a check was presented from the Elaine Secara Trust to MCAC for $2.5 million
– Purpose according to the trust: “constructing, maintaining, and improving a cultural arts center to be constructed in Madera County”
– To assure the wishes of Mrs. Secara were met, the executor of her trust, Dianna Marsh, subsequently became a member of the MCAC Board of Directors. Mrs. Marsh is now completing her 9th and final year on the Board.
Investing the Funds
– The MCAC Board appointed and maintains an Investment Oversight Committee comprised of Board members and community members. The committee is composed of 3 members from MCAC Board of Directors and two representatives from the community who are not active members of the MCAC Board of Directors.
– Purpose of investment oversight committee is to monitor performance and recommend investment policy and strategies for investment to maximize return with emphasis on maintenance of principal.
– The original investment amount (principal) remains intact to date. The investment reports are available for review at MCAC. The public is invited to attend biannual investment committee or Board meeting to provide input.
– The Board of the MCAC has sole authority over the use of the funds. The policy states that “the initial investment, and all retained/or reinvested earnings on that investment shall only be used for the purpose of satisfying the intent of the Elaine Secara Trust.”
Use of Funds to Date
In 2014, The MCAC Board approved using some of the returns on the initial investments to grow the MCAC in preparation for an expanded cultural arts center to be constructed/developed in the future. The maximum amount which can be used for this purpose is documented in the Investment Policy Statements of the individual investment vehicles. The Board annually reviews status of the investment funds and either approves or disapproves continued allocation of monies from earnings to
the MCAC. To date (January 2020 the Board has allocated $325,000.00 from earnings to be used in support of MCAC growth.
In 2019 The MCAC established an Endowment fund with the help of a $25,000 seed grant from the Whitney Foundation which was matched by community members. The plan is to continue adding donations to the endowment and build the fund value to the point where it can contribute to MCAC general operations annually while still maintaining its integrity into perpetuity.
The Madera County Arts Authority
Formed in May 2018 by a Joint Powers Agreement among the City of Madera, the County of Madera and Madera Unified School District. It is their job to steer the whole downtown revitalization project with the intent of making the cultural arts center the centerpiece.
The MCAA has a 5-member Board: 1 from each agency elected body, 1 from the Madera County Arts Council, and one at large community member chosen by the 3 agency members.
The MCAA brought in community stakeholders in Oct. 2018 to develop a vision for reimagining downtown with the cultural arts center as its centerpiece. The completed “Vision Statement/Plan” is available for viewing at the MCAC offices, and the MCAA.
Now MCAA is working on the whole downtown Madera revitalization plan (DOMA) as laid out through the community stakeholders’ sessions. This includes Yosemite Avenue area, County Historic park, and a future Cultural Arts Center. MCAA is also working on a funding plan to finance all the projects.
The City, County and school district are committing $29,000 each for the operational start up budget for the Authority to begin operations and hire a consultant to help assure proper planning. The MCAC Board authorized using $25,000 from the return on the Secara investment to support the work of hiring the consultant to assist the Board in moving the project forward.
All plans, sketches and a complete timeline of activity to build the Downtown Madera (DOMA) are available for public view in the MCAC office, City of Madera, County Supervisors’ office or the MUSD Superintendent’s Office
The Downtown Theater
In 2016-17 the County, City, and School District funded an architect to develop a master plan for downtown and main street revitalization that would also include the community’s desires to develop a cultural arts center. Over a year long process that included several community stakeholder meetings, a master plan which included a theater/event center at Yosemite and G streets was developed. The plan includes both replacing the old county government building with a new theater/event center and retrofitting the Old Madera Library as part of the cultural arts center complex.
The new MUSD high school will include a 250-seat theater to serve some of the MUSD school level needs. This space is similar to what Liberty High and Yosemite High as well as many other high schools have. It will neither be, nor replace the community event center, gallery, arts education center, theater complex the stakeholder group envisioned the cultural and performing arts center to be. The high school theater space is not designed to function as a county cultural arts center.
Madera County Arts Council Board meets the 3rd Wednesday of the month at the Circle Gallery 424 N. Gateway Drive Madera
Members:
Marcheta Williams President
Chris Miller Vice President
Erica Campa, Secretary
Carol Moses, Interim Treasurer
Julia O’Kane, immediate past president
Steve Copland
Ruben Garcia
Dianne Rich
Bert Roper
Yolanda Williams
Madera County Arts Authority meets the 4th Monday of the month at the Madera Board of Supervisors Chamber 200 West 4th Street Madera. This meeting is televised through Madera County services.
Members:
Julia O’Kane Chair, Madera County Arts Council
Cecelia Foley Gallegos Vice chair, Madera City Council
Robert Poythress Sec/Treas Madera County Supervisor
Ray Seibert Madera Unified School District Board
Charles Weiland Madera at large
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November 1, 2019
Special Thanks to our Celebrate Ag Sponsors!
Alkali Hollow Farms Inc.
Amanda Briggs, Creekside Farms
Amanda Martin, AMJ Cattle Ranches
ATB Ranch
Cynthia & Don Nelson, Midland Tractor
Diane Kirk, Kirk Farms
Dianne Rich
Enia Farms LLC
G & G Andrew Farms, LP, Amanda Briggs
Janice & Larry Lowder, L&JL Farming LLC
Karen Andrew
Kevin & Diane Herman, Spec Crop
About Us…
The Madera County Arts Council is a private, non-profit organization working to support and promote all arts in Madera County. Madera County Arts Council was established in 1982 by the Madera County Board of Supervisors. We have worked with the California Arts Council in a state-local partnership since 1982. In May 1983, the Madera County Arts Council became an incorporated agency with 501 (c)(3)non-profit status.
Mission Statement…
Provide Madera County residents and visitors access to art and culture through diverse programs and services.
Promote art education by enriching school curricula and other community activities.
Stimulate and support local arts groups and individual artists within the county.
Serve all generations and multi-cultural groups.
Develop public and private financial support for the arts.
Play a role in the economic development of the area through the promotion of the arts.
Encourage the promotion of a wide variety of public art and initiate fundraising activities to sponsor art in public places.
Contact Us:
CLICK HERE to subscribe to our Email List!
Location: 424 N. Gateway Drive, Madera, CA 93637
Hours: Tuesday-Friday 10a-6p
Phone: (559) 661-7005 Fax: (559) 661-7901
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Madera County Arts Council & Circle Gallery