MTVARTS INC

MTVarts is a non-profit community theatre production company with proven success providing quality, affordable entertainment to our rural community while continually building organizational infrastructure to assure long-term survival.

WHAT WE DO
MTVarts' is making theatre. We are a self-producing theatre company with a fluid business plan, staying true to our pledge to be audience-driven. We operate under the banners of PERFORMANCE and EDUCATION. Our programming includes our Summer Musical Series, One-Acts at pop up blackbox at warehouse14, and special projects. Our education includes classroom connections, after school classes and workshops, and summer camps. Working with the Knox County Education Service Center (ESC) Gifted Coordinator, MTVarts connects to the classroom with artsIQ, our Classics Series, and special projects. Those have included musical revues, interactive theatre, and 2013’s The JJ Project – making a boy’s dream to direct a reality.

CLASSROOM CONNECTIONS
The 21st century student experiencing live theatre in an educational environment has greater tolerance and improved ability to read the emotions of others, has increased understanding of plot and vocabulary, and gains an appreciation for the arts. Measured in the lives engaged, the thoughts provoked, and the experience of seeing literature studied come to life on the stage, this is one of our most successful endeavors.
MTVarts Classics Series honors our cultural and literature heritage with an educational outreach to secondary students. Our productions present (as the author intended) authentic, uncensored works by iconic American playwrights. Secondary students are invited to attend a free performance of works they have read in class. A cast/crew talk-back session is offered after the performance.

artsIQ is a unique program of performance-based arts education. Participating in the arts provides young people with a chance to explore their creativity and imagination in a structured and safe environment. Musical theatre is specifically remarkable because it is the only art form that combines all areas of the fine arts: acting, singing, dancing, music, and visual arts. Our young actors come together to produce and present two musicals a year for elementary students to attend. The Knox ESC Youth Enrichment Series (YES) offers free performances in the spring for all county and city kindergarten and first grade students. The fall free performance is offered to second and third graders.
Special classroom connections projects have included production of original works like Rooted:Stories of Knox County and Welcome Home, a Tribute to Vietnam Veterans. Our latest partnership with Kenyon College will offer tenth grade students a Holocaust education theatre experience sharing the story of Terezin.

AFTER SCHOOL CLASSES AND WORKSHOPS
Moving Theatre Forward at our brick-and-mortar home, warehouse14, means a menu of classes and workshops geared toward all phases of theatre production.

MTVarts is an active citizen in our community and also provides production assistance to schools, theatre groups, and community events. We participate and have earned awards at OCTA and AACT festivals.

OUR HISTORY
Originally designed as a communication tool, MTVarts grew from a local theatre troupe, Bruce Jacklin & Company. BJ&C, with production support by MTVarts, offers dinner theatre at The Alcove Restaurant, a 100 year old institution in historic Mount Vernon. Our first venture as MTVarts was a 2007 production of Disney's Beauty and the Beast. In 2008 MTVarts was granted Public Charity Status 509 (a) (2) and is tax exempt under section 501 (c)(3) of the IRS. Your contributions to MTVarts are tax deductible.

OUR ORGANIZATION
MTVarts is governed by an all-volunteer Board of Trustees (changed only by resolution) to ensure continuity of vision and purpose. MTVarts is blessed with a core of dedicated volunteers who donate hours of time, goods, and services for day-to-day management of productions and facilities.

We are funded through ticket sales, registration fees, donations, grants, and corporate support.

The MTVarts logo was designed by BlackCatCreative to represent the fingerprint each artist leaves on their work. A tree was chosen as our graphic identity as a pledge to stay green and growing and to visually illustrate there is as much unseen as there is seen. Our tag line best describes all that is MTVarts . . . Imagine more, together!

With the support of The Ariel Foundation and Knox County Properties, our dream to lease a space for rehearsal, workshops, and costume/prop storage became reality in 2014. MTVarts continually works to renovate our brick-and-mortar home, warehouse14, for maximum efficiency. We also continue to work with the City of Mount Vernon and other community partners toward the creation of a working place where art and science meet the community in historic Blackberry Alley.
Thanks to a successful capital campaign, MTVarts has funded the position of our first ever employee, an Education Coordinator.

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE
In a world where the arts struggle, Mount Vernon is thriving, a community that is green and growing because those living here are engaged and believe in our town. MTVarts believes in the power of live theatre and arts education to change our world. Our long range goals include expanding our footprint in the downtown arts district to house more classroom space for arts education. Working with our partners, arts education in Knox County will be elevated to equal opportunities available in neighboring counties. Live Theatre. Arts Education. Our community wants more, our community needs more, MTVarts will do more. Join us.