Annual Report 2015

MAYO STREET ARTS

ANNUAL REPORT 2015

March 24, 2016

Dear Friends,

Holy Toledo – Mayo Street Arts is now in it’s seventh year! Your involvement keeps our programming fresh, unique, and vibrant. We thank you all for your continued support of our programs.

Visual and Performing Arts programs at MSA include over 150 events each year like art exhibits, International music concerts, puppet theater performances, kids concerts, and dance performances. Visual exhibits included Migration, Ghosts 3, and many exemplary Maine artists.

2015 brought the return of the International Heritage Music Series, and a wide range of eclectic puppet theater and other performances for audiences of all ages. Outstanding events included Roochie Toochie and the Ragtime Shepherd Kings, Great Small Works’ International Toy Theater Festival, and Stämbandet Scandinavian Chorus.

Facility Improvements – The newly renovated balcony in our performance space improves acoustics and sightlines, allows for a more flexible performance space for theater, dance, and youth classes, and boosts seating capacity from 85 to 115. We are continuing now with a major update to the performance space to include new AV equipment, a new projection screen, a new lighting system for exhibits and performances, and a lectern!

2015’s pilot Community Arts Residency program brought Maine artist Chris Patch to MSA to work with neighborhood children of East Bayside on a stunning flock of paper birds that flew from our ceiling for a few fleeting months. Chris’s installation, Migration, has since been acquired by the Portland Museum of Art and we are thrilled that the birds have found a permanent airspace.

In other Programs for Community and Youth, this past summer marked the beginning of MSA’s Project RAD! (Reading, Art, Dance!)

The program provided literacy-based arts education for free to underserved, at-risk, immigrant, and refugee youths living in the East Bayside neighborhood of Portland, Maine.

Though Portland is known for its vibrant art, cultural, and culinary offerings, youths in East Bayside and other pockets of Greater Portland have limited opportunities to benefit from these qualities due to economic, geographic, and cultural barriers.

As a group of East Bayside stakeholders came together it became clear that MSA could play a larger role than providing occasional programming at Peppermint Park. Our shared mission and vision is to see East Bayside children who are not enrolled in quality programming during the summer have the opportunity for learning in a safe, engaging environment.

MSA is uniquely positioned in the community to offer this programming. We have served the East Bayside community since 2009 and provide programming and meeting space for all ages. We held the ten week summer program on Wednesday through Friday. Students ages 6-11 met for free lunch at Peppermint Park and walked to MSA with community policing staff. Activities included daily reading circles, writing activities, puppet theater, sculpture, visits from the bookmobile, and hip hop dance. It was a neighborhood hit.

This summer the program will expand to five afternoons per week, with new activities to increase parent involvement, and the return of The Children’s Puppet Workshop. Stay tuned for updates on this growing program!

In 2015 we continued to build our donor and membership base, including the Creator’s Circle, a giving membership for donors who have made substantial contributions to MSA’s annual fund. While grants and program revenue are still our two major means of income, we are working to grow our individual donor base significantly over the next five years. We continue to seek grant support for Programs for Community and Youth, Facility Improvements, and Visual and Performing Arts.

We recently welcomed four new members to our Board of Directors, and are excited about the new energy and activities ahead!

So thank you all for being a part of Mayo Street Arts. Your help has made a huge difference. We look forward to seeing you soon.

Blainor McGough

Executive Director, Mayo Street Arts

Youth Programs

In addition to our new summer program RAD, MSA provides after school classes and programs for children between the ages of 6 and 14 throughout the year, focusing on underserved youths in the East Bayside neighborhood. Classes include Music Club, Theater Thursdays, and of course the beloved Club Hip Hop.

Participants

Club Hip Hop – 325 students

Music Club – 97 students

Project RAD – 22 students

Artist Mentorships – 24 Students

Puppet Shows and Kids Concerts – 2,272

Visual and Performing Arts Audience Members – 5,452

Visual and Performing Artists – 148

Partners

LearningWorks

MaineStay

The Art Department

Portland Community Policing

Portland Housing Study Center

Portland Conservatory of Music

Portland Youth Dance

Maine College of Art

East Bayside Neighborhood Organization

Denmark Arts

Northern New Hampshire Arts Alliance

Finances 2015

Income

Grants $97,831

Direct Contributions $13,351

Ticket Sales & Rentals $56,562

Total $167,744

Expense

Artist Fees $24,004

Program Delivery $98,098

Licensing & Insurance $4,861

Building Repairs & Maintenance $5,722

Utilities $7,675

Total $140,360

2015 Grantors

Visual & Performing Arts

New England Foundation for the Arts $3,660

Maine Humanities Council $1,000

Davis Family Foundation $12,000

Brooks Family Foundation $5,000

Programs for Community and Youth

Brooks Family Foundation $6,000

Virginia Somers Hodgkins Foundation $10,000

Maine Arts Commission $4,279

Maine Community Foundation $2,500

Facility Improvements

Maine Community Foundation $5,000

Maine Humanities Council $7,200

Morton-Kelly Charitable Trust – $10,000

Business Sponsors

Coffee By Design $500

The Holy Donut $1000

Individual Donors and Members

MSA donors and members support the arts, education, and opportunities for the most diverse community of youths in Maine. All of our members play key roles in making MSA a special and creative place for so many. We couldn’t do it without you – thank you!

Creator’s Circle Members $300+

Hayden & Meredith Anderson

Rich Entel

Cyrus & Patricia Hagge

Blainor McGough & Brian Arlet

Christopher Patch

Polly Plimpton & David Worobec

Donna Roggenthien and Ronald Leeking

Russ Sargent

Catherine Share

Yemaya & Lucas St.Clair

Betsy and Steve Tesh

Annie Wadleigh

$150+

Julia & Jim Brady Cathy Bloom
Ross Metzman
Joan & Daniel Amory
Cullen & Elizabeth McGough
Jacob & Leah McNally
Elizabeth Reny
Katy Rydell
Steve & Christine Rohman
Sandra Ste. George
Elena Schmidt
Philip Thompson
Edward Swain

$75+

June Delano
Larry & Alice Hayden
David & Rachel Cimato
Elizabeth & Thomas Crane
Donna Doughten & Joel Eckhouse
Emma Holder
Sarah Lathrop
Kelly McConnell
Frank Pierobello
Belinda Ray
Barbara Simon
Chuck & Enes Henegar
Gunnel Larsdotter & Richard Reed
Bill Minkowitz
Robert Montgomery
James Rohman
Kenneth Spirer & Joan Leitzer
Patricia & Lyle Voss

$35+

Elizabeth Berg
Beth Blanchard
Erica Burkhart
Linda & Bill Deetjen
Valerie Devuyst
Barbara J Duff
Carl Dimow
Dr. Mary Dowd
Ruth Elkin
Mary & Lonnie Floyd
Suzanne Gagnon
Scott & Melissa Knoll
Anja Hanson
Libby Marcus & Davis Robinson
Maggie Libby
Susan McCloskey
Peter Bass and Lin Lisberger
Gunnel Hansen & Einar Juhlin
Markos Miller
Meikle Patch
David Pence Jr.
Amanda Petrozzini
Ann Quinlan