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The Montgomery Center for the Arts is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization located in the historic Kelton Hall, situated at the top of Main Street in Montgomery Center, VT. The diverse board of local, volunteer members collaborates with the community to provide a culturally rich and welcoming Center that supports the Arts, Wellness, and Community, as well as the preservation of the iconic building.
OUR MISSION:
The Montgomery Center for the Arts is dedicated to enhancing the vitality of life in our local regional communities by providing a venue for a diversity of educational, cultural, artistic, and social experiences.
This month at the MCA...
GALLERY SHOWS:
The MCA had a wonderful 2023 Gallery season, starting with Michael Domina's extensive fundraiser collection and continuing on to feature a range of local and out-of-town artists work, culminating in the diverse exhibit of community art at
the People's Art Show.
Visit our blog to see pictures of our season.
Thank you to all the patrons who visited our Gallery and supported the arts!
... On Break ...
The MCA is taking a stick-season reprieve to clean up and winterize the building in anticipation of re-opening for winter programming. After being closed for winter since Covid shut-downs, the MCA is so excited to once again provide our space for public use year-round! We hope to fill the rooms with classes and workshops, art shows, events, and community participation. If you have a proposal for a Gallery Show or Performance, we hope you will submit your application and make good use of the building!
Looking forward to seeing you all again soon for winter at the MCA!
Michael Domina Art: To Benefit the MCA Restoration
The MCA is always fundraising, but with doors closing for November, Michael Domina's display of fine-art pieces for sale will be shelved for the season.
Don't worry, you'll still be able to peruse and purchase his remaining collection online through the winter
Click HERE to visit the online store.
THE MCA IS LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEER GALLERY DOCENTS! Saturdays & Sundays from 12-4 PM during our open season. If you are interested in donating your time, clear HERE to sign up.
Restoration of THE MCA
In 2021, the Board of Directors of the MCA started the Exterior Painting and Restoration Initiative to restore the historic windows and to have the exterior surfaces of the building stripped and repainted. Both features of the exterior are in desperate need of preservation due to the effects of weather and aging deterioration.
The foremost catalyst for spearheading this project came with the award of the Paul Bruhn Grant from the Preservation Trust of Vermont in the amount of $50,000. This exceptional grant allowed the Board to pursue contractors to achieve this first step in preservation of the iconic building.
The restoration process for the building began in Summer of 2022 with the contracting of Vermont Window Restoration of Winooski to remove the windows and transport them to their workshop for winter storage and repair of the sashes, lights, and grilles to a historically accurate and renewed condition.
As of September of 2023, the windows are slated for reinstallation this Autumn season. The reinstallation of the windows will be in cooperation with the contracted exterior painters of Peck's Painting of Newport, VT who will be executing the exterior stripping and repainting portion of the project.
The Board of Directors is grateful for all donors large and small who have helped contribute to the restoration fund that has supported this endeavor. Most recently, we were thrilled to receive two more substantial contributions towards the success of this restoration effort:
-- a $4,000 Grant from the Windham Foundation of Grafton, VT --
-- a $10,000 pledge from Jay Peak Resort via the Flake Foundation --
-- A $1,000 donation from the Vermont Electric Company Community Fund --
It is from the generosity of these community-oriented businesses and organizations, and the donations from our patrons, that this project is achievable. With these contributions, and with the support of our community, the Board of the MCA strives to continue keeping the space open for public access to creative learning and enrichment, and to the restoration and preservation of the iconic building that sits at the pedestal of Main Street as an architectural icon of our Downtown.
For more information and photos of the Exterior Restoration and Preservation Initiative, click HERE.
Vermont Arts Council Grant Award
The MCA is excited to announce that we were selected to receive the Creative Futures Grant Award from
the Vermont Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts to support economic recovery in the arts sector
from Pandemic-related fiscal losses.
"During the 2022 state legislative session, the Vermont Arts Council and the Vermont Creative Network advocated for increased investment in economic recovery for the creative sector. One outcome of this session (a part of Act 183) was an unprecedented allocation of $9 million of funds to the Vermont Arts Council for grants to creative sector entities that have sustained economic harm due to the pandemic. The program was supported by funds from the American Rescue Plan Act." - VAC
Prior to the Pandemic shut-down, the MCA was a full time operating facility with a consistent slate of classes and events hosted for the public that supported keeping the space open year-round. When we were forced to close our doors for the health emergency, we lost substantial revenue that had been delegated for heating and winter maintenance, resulting in closing our doors indefinitely for winter months. Even two years later, we continue to feel the budgetary hit from that year of closed doors and though we have a General Fund that supports the minimum needs of maintaining the building annually, it is exhaustive and we continue to operate on a nominal budget. We are grateful for all the support that we receive from the community, and this VAC grant will further buffer our accounts to enable a more secure fiscal circumstance going forward in the hopes of once again being in a position to aim to be open year-round.
For more information on the Vermont Arts Council programs and resources, visit
Did you recently visit the Montgomery Center for the Arts? Did you have a memorable experience at an event? Did a class or workshop inspire you? Do you have a suggestion or feedback? Leave us a comment and let us know.
Click HERE to share your thoughts...
