Phoenix Art Museum Receives $1M Grant from Men’s Arts Council
Phoenix Art Museum announced it received a $1 million grant from Men’s Arts Council, a nonprofit member organization of Valley philanthropists dedicated to supporting the museum’s community-outreach programs. The unprecedented gift, the largest single donation in MAC’s 55+ year history, will benefit the museum’s education efforts, fund technology updates in public gathering spaces and create new access programs for the community.
“For 55 years, the Men’s Arts Council has dedicated itself to providing Phoenix Art Museum with the resources it needs to perpetuate its mission of serving our community through expertly crafted exhibitions and thoughtful education,” said Joel Coen, president of Men’s Arts Council. “This year, it is our honor to commit this substantial donation to continue our ongoing relationship with the museum and to support the arts in the Phoenix metro area as a whole.”
The $1 million grant, in addition to MAC’s annual giving, supports key initiatives within the museum. To increase access for more Arizona residents, MAC’s gift includes funding for quarterly Family Days, during which the museum will open at no cost to families and feature art making workshops, guided tours and other events to make the galleries feel welcoming and accessible to Arizona families who may be visiting for the first time.
MAC also supports the return of a historic museum program that offered free general admission to all Maricopa Community College District students, creating opportunities to integrate visual arts into college classroom curricula. The MCx3@PAM free-access program provides an affordable way for the Valley’s community college students to experience the museum’s robust exhibition schedule.
“Phoenix Art Museum is thrilled to announce this access program in partnership with Men’s Arts Council,” said Jeremy Mikolajczak, the museum’s Sybil Harrington director & CEO. “Free-admission programs like MC3@PAM eliminate economic barriers and further our commitment to opening doors and expanding access to the arts for our audiences in Arizona. Many community college students are among the first in their families to have the option to attend college, and with more than 75 percent of Maricopa County Community College students attending on a part-time basis, balancing work and family with their educational studies, we did not want anything to stand in the way of these students enjoying arts and culture.”
MAC’s gift will underwrite the new associate curator of education position, a role responsible for developing enriching arts-education programs for the public. Additionally, the donation will enable the museum to bring back PhxArt Amplified, the museum’s popular weekend music festival, which featured a wide range of musicians performing throughout museum galleries and public gathering spaces.
The grant includes funding for key technology upgrades within public gathering spaces, focusing primarily on the museum’s Singer Hall. The technology upgrades will also enable the museum to expand access to digital resources for visitors.
For more behind this Frontdoor, visit mensartscouncil.com
