MERCED COUNTY ARTS COUNCIL

The Merced County Arts Council’s mission is to nurture and inspire the arts and artists in Merced County by cultivating places for creative discovery, community, and dialogue. We strive to show the community that art is around us all the time, and can be experienced in anything and everything.

Incorporated in 1978, the Merced County Arts Council was originally operated from a small office space on Main Street. In 1996, the City of Merced entrusted the Arts Council to manage the Merced Multicultural Arts Center. In addition to operating this 28,000 sq. foot, multipurpose arts center, the Arts Council manages an arts-in-education program; an arts facility for adults with developmental disabilities; performances and visual/performing arts classes for children and adults; professional support for artists through fiscal sponsorship; exhibits year-round in the four galleries; and newfound coalitions for visual and performing artists.

THE MAC

THE MERCED MULTICULTURAL ARTS CENTER

The Multicultural Arts Center, lovingly known as the MAC, has been the arts and cultural hub of Merced since its opening in 1997. Managed by the Merced County Arts Council, the MAC is home to:

• The Enrichment Center, a day program for artists with disabilities

• The Arbor Gallery, a co-op of local artists

• The Merced Academy of Dance

• The Bear Creek Ukulele Society

• Local theater groups

• LGBTQ+ groups

• Local artists and so much more.

The MAC offers a wide variety of classroom, conference, and general meeting spaces to meet all of your creative, personal, and professional facility needs as well as four art galleries, a black box theater, and a serving kitchen. The Multicultural Arts Center is truly a multi-use facility that can handle almost any event.

HISTORY OF THE MAC

• In 1978, the Goldman Fund was left to the City of Merced in memory of Morris and Amelia Goldman. Held in trust for the creation of multi-functional art and cultural community center, the Goldman Fund came into play as an element of the City’s 1991 Downtown Strategy to revitalize the historic core of the community.

• In 1994, the City of Merced’s Redevelopment Agency and the Merced County Arts Council joined in partnership to renovate the once-grand 28,000 square foot Montgomery Wards department store at 645 W. Main Street.

• Since its completion in 1996 as a downtown redevelopment anchor, the Merced Multicultural Arts Center has been honored with an American Institute of Architecture award. The Merced County Arts Council’s re-energized programming, launched from their new home, received the League of California Cities’ 2001 “Helen Putnam Award for Excellence” Grand Prize for Arts and Quality of Life. This progressive relationship between the City of Merced and the Merced County Arts Council also led to Merced being chosen as one of only four California cities featured in the televised documentary “2001: Year of the Arts”, celebrating the 25th anniversary of the California Arts Council.