MAC2

An Important Update from the Mendocino Art Center

Below is an email received June 25 from MAC: Dear Family of the Mendocino Art Center, I’m writing to you today to update you on the coming months at the art center. Although we desperately…

Below is an email received June 25 from MAC:

Dear Family of the Mendocino Art Center,

I’m writing to you today to update you on the coming months at the art center.

Although we desperately want to recapture our pre-pandemic life at our lovely Mendocino campus, we know that however hard we hope, nothing will ever be exactly like it was in 2019. Consequently, our leadership has over the past few weeks been thinking deeply about what we can do safely, and when we can do it.

We all have been experiencing significant challenges through these times: isolation, anger, fear, claustrophobia, and the deep changes that these bring. You, this family, have supported us in ways you can never imagine, keeping us alive through your donations and love, and we are so grateful. We have worked around the clock to shift our offerings online so that everyone can take advantage of art classes and inspiration even though we cannot all leave our homes. As well, we offer for sale online the beautiful pieces from our artist family, because we know how important it is to them to keep sales going during these raw times.

As the pandemic waxes and wanes, much like you we have been considering opening up to in-person experiences. We would love to welcome residents and tourists alike back to our classes, exhibitions, store, and celebrations. Back in March, we had all hoped this situation would be temporary, yet we have observed the pandemic to wax again unpredictably, and the last thing the Mendocino Art Center would want to do is to bring people into our home and endanger our residents, our staff, and other students.

The Board of Directors of the Mendocino Art Center well understands that safe conditions for indoor gatherings of groups of people may not occur in the months to come, and so the Board has made the decision to continue our closure to in-person experiences until the end of the 2020 calendar year. As well, this means that our campus will be closed to the public at least until January 1, 2021.

We do this reluctantly, but with expert advice about the continuing dangers of the current pandemic, and we deeply believe it is imperative to protect our staff, volunteers, students, and instructors. We are committed to remaining open online, and to expanding those classes, exhibitions, events, and gallery store pieces, and we hope that you will partake of these online services.

In the meantime, our remaining staff will continue to work with the Board of Directors to reimagine the MAC as a nimbler, more responsive center of creativity, and we will be reaching out to you for your advice.

Thanks again for being part of our family. Stay safe. Wash your hands. Be kind to all.

Roccie Hill
Executive Director

Debra Lennox
President of the Board of Directors