Below is a letter sent to the Orlando Sentinel today voicing concerns about the proposed Maitland Art Center (MAC)/Maitland Historical Society merger. Please send this link to any others who need to be informed (especially MAC members who may be called on to vote on the merger.) Those who are not MAC members--now may be a good time to became one and ensure that MAC is properly cared for so future generations can enjoy it. Thanks
Gayle
To the Editor:
It was disturbing to find out recently that the annual fundraiser, pARTicipation, for the Maitland Art Center (MAC) has been cancelled for 2010. This event is key in helping to raise money necessary to keep the center operating successfully and is especially critical in this difficult recession. The reason given for the cancellation is due to possible conflicts with the Maitland Historical Society’s fundraiser. This is especially troubling considering the Maitland Historical Society recently received a $1 million donation from The Morgan Group, developers of the Village at
Promoting one organization at the expense of the other calls into doubt the assurances given to MAC members that the proposed merger between MAC and the Maitland Historical Society will be mutually beneficial and will not allow one group to dominate the other.
MAC is a community treasure as well as a long-standing vital asset to the local creative arts community. It must not be starved of the critical funding it needs to survive these tough times. We can’t afford to let any of our fine art institutions be mishandled and we urge everyone to become involved and ask pertinent questions about the merger and its impact to MAC. Actions do speak louder than words and it now seems the merger between MAC and Maitland Historical Society doesn’t appear to be as positive as it’s been portrayed.
Sincerely,
Mr. & Mrs. Gerard Bell
