Greetings Supporters and Neighbors,

I’m excited to share with you our Annual Report which illustrates how far we’ve come in the last three years. The board and staff have been working tirelessly to grow from our early grassroots days to the MAD we are today featuring robust programming, service to our arts community and two active facilities around the corner from each other in the heart of Midtown Kingston.

All of our work at MAD is driven by the premise that the arts, creativity and self-expression are fundamental to a fulfilling, whole life. I believe living artfully and on purpose transforms our lives and builds richer relationships with each other.

From the beginning, we’ve made it a part of our mission to listen deeply to our community’s needs and by doing so build and grow with our community in mind, thoughtfully and organically.

Our ongoing challenge is to change the overwhelming public mis-understanding of the arts: they are extra-curricular and don’t offer a path to a secure financial future. The fact is there are jobs in the Kingston arts industry for creative youth, and we aim to connect youth with these broad opportunities and ensure they are aware of and informed about their options for real, paid creative work. Additionally the arts serve everyone as a basis for creative problem solving.

As this report illustrates our work is multifaceted and broad. Our work continues because

• Our partnerships and collaborations are vital.
• Paying artists fairly for their valuable contributions is uncompromising.
• Engaging our youth in meaningful training is an investment in our community’s future leaders.

Celebrating and making the arts accessible with no barriers is an offering to our city that invites everyone to live and breath artfully every day.

Lisa Kelley
Executive Director
Kingston Midtown Arts District