The Madison Arts Commission (MAC) will celebrate 50 years of dedication to public art and community art-making tonight with a free event at Madison Children’s Museum (MCM) from 4-8 p.m.
The community is invited to attend the celebration featuring performances by Madison Circus Space performers, VO5, and hands-on art-making with artists TetraPAKMAN, Lesley Anne Numbers, Angelica Contreras and Djam Vivie.
“For half a century, Madison Arts Commission has been weaving creativity into the fabric of our city. As we celebrate this milestone at the Madison Children’s Museum, we’re reminded that the arts are not just about beautifying spaces—they are about building community and ensuring everyone has a voice in our cultural landscape,” said Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway in a statement. “As we look to the next 50 years, we remain committed to fostering a vibrant arts scene that reflects and enriches every neighborhood in our city.”
The Madison Arts Commission (MAC) includes ten residents and one alder. Staff include one full-time and two part-time arts administrators. MAC was founded in 1974 to guide the Mayor and Common Council on policy matters relating to the arts.
The Friends of the Madison Arts Commission (FoMAC), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization established in 2020 to support MAC’s efforts, recently announced that it more than doubled the goal for 2024 fundraising. In addition to individual giving, both the Evjue Foundation and the Hoke Family Foundation each awarded FoMAC $50,000.
“As a part of our volunteer board’s strategic planning goals at the end of last year, we set out to make $50,000 in honor of MAC’s 50th anniversary, and we doubled it,” Friends of the Madison Arts Commission co-chairs Cedric Johnson and Sarah Werner said. “Thanks to the generous donations from the Evjue Foundation and the Hoke Family Foundation, MAC has the funds to put toward projects such as Parks Alive, Utility Box coverings, and public artwork for the highly-anticipated Madison Public Market opening next year! Because of their philanthropic work and commitment to the arts, FoMAC and MAC can continue to encourage artistic activities and initiate cultural programs that integrate, support and advance arts and culture as an essential part of life in Madison.”
