Meigs Performing Arts Center Fund Opens at FAO
Fund Will Spearhead Fundraising for a New Cultural Arts Center
Pomeroy, OH – After more than 100 years without a dedicated facility to showcase and celebrate the performing arts, a group of passionate Meigs County citizens want to create a place to highlight the cultural arts in their community. In an effort to combat generations of limited access to the arts, Meigs County will create an incubator for local creativity though the creation of the Meigs Performing Arts Center Fund at the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio (FAO) to generate the resources for a dedicated performing arts facility in Meigs County.
The Meigs Performing Arts Center (MPAC) Fund will be used to support a wide range of arts and culture activities in Meigs County. Right now, the main focus is the development of a state-of-the-art theater and community center for Meigs County citizens.
“Our committee has worked incredibly hard to put together a plan for a performing arts center and we’re so pleased to invite the community to participate in making it a reality,” says Jessica Holliday, a fund representative for the Meigs Performing Arts Center Fund and a member of the MPAC Foundation committee. “Meigs County deserves a facility to highlight the arts and we can’t wait to see the impact it has on the community.”
Before coming up with the idea of creating their own facility, Pomeroy had to use other centers in surrounding communities for their shows and performances as they didn’t have their own. While the people of Pomeroy and Meigs County appreciate the generosity of their neighbors, they believe it’s time to have their own facility to highlight the arts in Meigs County while spurring economic development.
The new MPAC facility will be a high-tech learning facility and will act as a community hub that will provide a place to explore anything from entertainment to education. Plans for this 21st century theater will include a dining area as well as a convention-style meeting complex which will help the economic and cultural enhancement of Meigs County and the southeast Ohio Appalachian Region.
“Meigs County has so much to offer to the individuals that live here, and I think the new Performing Arts Center will add to those offerings,” says Mary Gilmore, a MPAC Foundation committee member. “We want to give back to a strong and resilient community to let them display their creative roots and give the community something to be excited about.”
MPAC is fortunate to have an entire committee dedicated to its success. It is made up of resourceful and creative individuals who are not only passionate about performing arts, but passionate about their community and the impact the performing arts has on the local economy. The nine members on this committee each bring their own experiences and expertise to the work of making MPAC a reality.
Gifts to the Meigs Performing Arts Center Fund are tax deductible and can be made in many ways, including cash, stock, bequests, and life insurance. Donations can be made online at www.AppalachianOhio.org or www.MPACFoundation.org by designating the Meigs Performing Arts Center Fund when donating. To mail your donation, please designate the Fund and mail to the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio, PO Box 456, Nelsonville, OH 45764 or the Meigs Performing Arts Center Foundation, PO Box 466, Pomeroy, OH 45769.
To learn more about the Meigs Performing Arts Center Fund and how you can support grantmaking and investments in your local community, please visit www.AppalachianOhio.org or call the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio at 740.753.1111.
About the Meigs County Community Fund
The Meigs County Community Fund was created in 2011 to increase and advance philanthropic activities in Meigs County. The Meigs County Community Fund works to attract philanthropic resources in the form of gifts, grants, or bequests to benefit the broader community.
About the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio
The Foundation for Appalachian Ohio (FAO) is a regional community foundation serving the 32 counties of Appalachian Ohio. A 501(c)(3) public charity, the Foundation creates opportunities for Appalachian Ohio’s citizens and communities by inspiring and supporting philanthropy. For more information about FAO, visit www.AppalachianOhio.org
