Maricopa Partnership for Arts and Culture

Maricopa Partnership for Arts and Culture is a nonprofit organization doing business in the Greater Phoenix area. I posed ten questions to a representative of MPAC in an effort to familiarize Phoenix area residents with the organization. Here are the responses I received.

What is the name of the organization?

Maricopa Partnership for Arts and Culture

How long has the organization been operating in the Phoenix area?

Since 2004.

Does the organization serve a particular geographic area?

Greater Phoenix/Maricopa County

Who is most likely to benefit from services provided by the organization?

MPAC works to increase arts and culture opportunities for everyone in our region. A new book, “What’ll We Do, Museum of Zoo”, is being distributed to children and families in many city libraries through their summer reading programs. It’s a keepsake activity book that encourages families to explore 16 different arts and culture organizations around the Valley. MPAC has also partnered with the Banner Alzheimer’s Institute to create an arts engagement program for patients with mild dementia and their care partners. MPAC works to show the value and quality of our creative community to build connections with our residents and the arts.

Are there requirements or prerequisites for people to access your services?

MPAC staff and board members are available to speak on the importance of a vibrant creative community in supporting a thriving economy. Also, MPAC reports and downloadable pages to the “Museum or Zoo” book are available at www.mpacarts.org. MPAC does not provide individual grants to organizations.

Three things about Maricopa Partnership for Arts and Culture that people might not know.

1. MPAC promotes a vibrant creative community as a critical partner in the economic growth of Greater Phoenix. To this end, MPAC undertakes research to better understand our region’s perception both locally and internationally as well as local audience trends and behaviors.
2. MPAC works with the business community to create resources for attracting and retaining top talent to the region.
3. MPAC works with non-profit arts and culture organizations to better provide out-of-school learning experiences for our community’s young people.

What is the local address?

2390 E. Camelback Road, #204, Phoenix, AZ 85016

What is the local phone number?

602-224-8400

What is the URL of the local web site?

www.mpacarts.org

Any other comments?

MPAC was founded in 2004 at the recommendation of the Maricopa Regional Arts and Culture Task Force. Studies revealed that the Greater Phoenix region was lagging far behind competitor cities and areas in support for the arts. Other research shows that having a strong arts and culture environment is important in attracting and retaining top talent for many industries. Latest figures show that contributed revenue for non-profit arts and culture as a whole for Greater Phoenix is far below cities like San Diego, Austin, Denver and Seattle.

One persistent misperception is that the arts are currently funded through tax dollars. This is not currently the case. There is also a public opinion that the quality of the arts here is subpar to that of other regions. MPAC, through its work, hopes to assist in driving up attendance numbers to local arts and culture experiences as well as create a dedicated funding source to continue growing and sustaining our region’s creative community.

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