What it does
Mclean project forthe arts (mpa) is a leading contemporary visual arts non-profit organization dedicated to connecting art and community. Our community is rooted in the mid-atlantic region; our mission is to serve artists and the public by exhibiting the work of emergingand established artists, fostering theunderstanding of contemporary art, and offering art education and instruction for people of all ages and potentials.
Exhibitions: mpa hosts 8-12 museum-quality exhibitions annually, from curated exhibitions around a central theme to juried shows of over 30 artists. Our exhibitions and opening receptions are free, open to the public and fully accessible/ada compliant. Mpa exhibitions are frequently reviewed by the washington post with positive commentary about their artistic excellence. Our galleries are highly sought-after exhibition spaces for artists, having shown the work of approximately 3,500 artists over 60 years, and welcoming 1,500 in-person gallery visitors annually. In recent years (in response to the pandemic), mpa added virtual presentations of our exhibitions to our website and offered zoom exhibition openings and artist talks, and inprint and video presentations, all of which have expanded the reach of this aspect of our programming. Our virtual exhibitions have been well attended with approximately 80 participants per session. Although mpa has resumed all in-person gallery tours and programming to encourage and support exhibiting artists, we intentionally continue to deliver our programming online and in other formats to ensure the broadest accessibility possible across our community and commonwealth.
Arts & education center project: mclean project for the arts is uniquely positioned to pair its longtime commitment to the arts with the opportunity to create a regional epicenter for arts education and outreach. The envisioned result is a vibrant, 6,000-square foot facility in which the possibilities for creativity are boundless.to advance mpa's enduring mission of exhibiting, educating and inspiring, mpa is working to create a new mpa arts and education center. Mpa's expanded presence will complement the existing galleries and studio at the mclean community center with new interior and exteriorspaces in downtown mclean, virginia. The new campus includes galleries dedicated toexhibiting contemporaryart; state-of-the art classrooms and corresponding equipmentfordistinct mediums; a caf for artists and visitors; and a courtyard for outdoor learning andcommunity celebration of the arts.
Art education: mpa offers a broad variety of affordable art classes, summer art camps, and free workshops annually, educating over 1,200 art students of all ages and abilities. Mpa's diverse faculty members, experts in their chosen media, teach an expansive range of styles and approaches, and both virtual and in-studio classes are offered.