“To see art outside, up-close, tangible and accessible to so many people is very powerful. To be granted the ability to produce six such experiences is an immeasurable honor. It’s so important to our organization’s mission and vision to break out of our walls, impact our community, and see creativity everywhere. We couldn’t be prouder or more excited to bring the Meet Me At The Bench project to fruition, leading us into our 50th year. The MAC has started planning exciting events to celebrate our anniversary and we will begin to roll them out next year, culminating with a Gala in September 2021. The bench project is just the beginning!”

- Paige Miglio, MAC Executive Director.

What a way to start 2020! We recently learned that the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development: Office of the Arts has awarded us one of only 28 Project Grants for 2020. This grant allows us to meet one of our goals to see #creativityeverywhere, reaching beyond our walls to share the arts with everyone. The grant encourages and supports arts-based projects exhibiting artistic excellence aligned with the state arts initiative to be READI (Relevance, Equity, Access, Diversity, Inclusion), and it comes at an opportune time as we head into 50th Anniversary celebration in 2021.

The MAC’s project grant titled, “Meet Me at the Bench” calls for creatives, artists, and craftsmen to create and install six unique benches re-imagined as artistic and community experiences throughout downtown Milford. These benches are not simply painted or decorated, nor are they temporary figurine campaigns. Instead, The MAC is reaching beyond its pool of artists to equitably challenge, engage, and hire individuals or groups of: engineers, architects, woodworkers, metal-forgers, tile-layers, masons, craftsmen, artisans who exhibit artistic excellence, ingenuity and inspiration.

A committee of local artists, city representatives, downtown businesses, and service organizations will review submissions and match them to sites. The committee members include: State Senator James Maroney; Milford Alderman Bryan Anderson; Christine Angeli, Director Milford Public Library; Jennifer Paradis, Director BethEl Center; Tracy Bonosconi, owner of LOVET Shop and DMBA Chair; Carol Kuryla, Metro Star Marketing Director; Nell Moll, Milford Regional Chamber of Commerce; Curran Bishop, Pastor of Christ Presbyterian Church; Bill Bevan, Parks Commissioner; Brec Morgan, local artist and muralist; George Amato, local artist and founding MAC Board Member; and Paige Miglio, MAC Executive Director and “Meet me at the Bench” project manager. Six locations in downtown Milford have been selected, and will be rolled out over the course of one year.

Happy 2020 to you :)

The New Year Is Looking Bright: Public Art Project Grant Awarded to the MAC