The Montrose Center for Arts believes in the power of visual arts to reflect our past and to positively shape our lives and our community. We seek to support local artists at every phase of their artistic journey, from new learner to professional artist, and believe in uplifting new and historically marginalized artistic voices. We encourage the intersection of all types of visual art – from all mediums, from fine art to folk art, from aesthetic to utilitarian, and from figurative to conceptual. We want to make Montrose and the surrounding region a recognized destination for exploring visual art.
MCA serves local artists by exhibiting, and selling, their works in our gallery headquarters on historic Main Street in Montrose Colorado. We curate approximately 14 shows per year, divided between one large main gallery and two smaller member galleries. We promote each show, organize opening events, and encourage participating artists to engage with the public via scheduled Art Talks. Our Art in Motion program displays art by local artists at approximately 15 locations, including businesses, medical facilities, and public buildings.
We strive to provide unique, interesting, and educational opportunities throughout our community. We offer a variety of adult art classes to members and non-members. We participate in the annual Youth Appreciation Day activities and other Youth-oriented events. One current initiative is to partner with another local agency to provide classes and engagement with the local young adult and elderly population at a unique co-living village. Another initiative will seek to establish an online hub at MCA that would work with the local secondary schools to provide internships and part-time employment by students to provide technical support.
We partner with the local library on a monthly art-centered book club. And sponsor a weekly Monday Morning Paint Group. We continue to look for new ways to interact with the diverse populations within our reach, as well as increase our membership base, and formulate activities and programs that benefit our local artists.
The mission of the Montrose Center for Arts is to thrive at the intersection of visual art creators, appreciators, and learners by celebrating the joy of art and encouraging creativity and diversity.
The Montrose Center for Arts has the vision of connecting art and the community to inspire creative life. It began as a series of gatherings of local artists, culminating in the formation of the Montrose Visual Arts Guild in 1994. The Guild was subsumed by the formation of the Montrose Center for Arts in June of 2015. The founding members of MCA had a dream to create a space to promote the excellence of all art forms in the City of Montrose and surrounding area – a community gathering place for all to experience the arts. Meetings were initially held in available spaces, volunteer instructors came forward to teach art classes, and the local community’s engagement in the arts began to grown with many varied MCA activities. At last in May 2019, the Montrose Center for Arts became a reality when MCA leased its first location at 11 S Park Avenue. In October 2024 the MCA relocated to our current location at 205 East Main Street in a move calculated to achieve overall financial stability going forward and ensure long-lasting viability of the Montrose Center for Arts.
Organization name
Montrose Center for Arts
2015
Tax id (EIN)
81-4159361
Category
Arts, Culture & Humanities, Mutual & Membership Benefit, Education, Public & Societal Benefit
Organization Size
Small Organization
Address
205 E MAIN STMontrose County, CO, US
Delta County, CO, US
Ouray County, CO, US
San Miguel County, CO, US