America250PA awards Main Line Art Center a Semiquin grant

America250PA, with generous funding support from Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and the Pennsylvania Legislature, is proud to award $1 million in grant funding across two grant periods during our 2024-25 Fiscal Year. The Semiquincentennial Grants are intended to create, uplift, improve, and expand programming, projects, and events from eligible Pennsylvania communities and organizations, which contribute to a full calendar of activities, engaging every single Pennsylvanian, around the 250th Anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

America250PA (A250PA) is Pennsylvania’s official Commission charged with planning and coordinating all of the programming, projects and events around the 250th anniversary of the United States in 2026. They are currently scheduling and implementing a series of programs and events focused on Educating, Preserving, Innovating, and Celebrating everything that makes Pennsylvania what it is: from our natural and political past and origins; to the people, industry, and organizations that make up our neighbors and communities; to the incredible sights and sounds Pennsylvania provides and Pennsylvanians create; all the way to laying a solid groundwork for our children, for future generations, and for the next 250 years

America250PA awarded Main Line Art Center a $10,000 America250PA SemiQuin Grant to celebrate our nation’s 250th anniversary.

All roads  lead to the arts in Delaware County. The county boasts a rich creative history, including the home of Benjamin West, America's first great fine-art painter, the Hedgerow Theater, our nation's first resident repertory theatre, the Rose Valley Arts and Crafts Movement, and our premier museum, Brandywine Conservancy & Museum of Art. To learn more about the Delco Arts scene, check out The Delaware County Arts Consortium.

Today, Delaware County sustains a lively artistic engagement through various arts centers like the Main Line Art Center. As a non-profit community arts center, Main Line Art Center serves as a destination for discovering, creating, experiencing and sharing visual art, while providing opportunities for personal growth and joy. Known for their visual arts classes and summer camps, gallery exhibitions, events and accessible art program, the MLAC has encouraged thousands of individuals to explore their imagination and creativity.

Since 1948, artists have been gathering at the Victorian “white house” at 746 Panmure Road in Haverford. The building itself was constructed in 1868. Today, after thoughtful renovations, it is a venue that combines a historic building with contemporary art spaces. 

photo credit Becker & Frondorf

Their special Semiquincentennial program is an outdoor mural called “A Celebration of Pennsylvania Artists: Past, Present, and Future.”

This vibrant, large-scale mural will honor Pennsylvania’s rich artistic legacy, showcasing historical and contemporary artists who have shaped the state’s cultural landscape. Installed on the front of the Art Center, the mural will be a community-driven effort, engaging volunteers, local artists, and participants from the Accessible Art Program.

Committed to providing access to the arts for those with disabilities and low income families, the Main Line Art Center was recently recognized by the National Endowment for the Arts with a project grant to support the "60 Years of Accessible Art" exhibition and program, on view in winter 2025.  

The exhibition featured works in a variety of mediums from over 100 artists who have participated in onsite and offsite accessible art programs including community partners sites, Residency for Artists with Disabilities, and Exceptional Art program, and as well as the work of juried local artists. 

Since 1965, MLAC has welcomed thousands of children and adults with disabilities to participate in challenging and inspiring arts education programs. The partner with over 15 under-resourced schools, community centers, and social service agencies to provide residencies, workshops, and classes that build technical skills, foster creativity, and create positive social networks. Beyond the classroom, they also offer a Residency for Artists with Disabilities, the only of its kind in our region.

The Art Center is a destination for visual arts experiences and programs that are catalysts for broader and more effective dialogue addressing issues facing our society today. Featuring established, emerging, and under-represented contemporary artists and boundary-pushing curators, their exhibitions program is designed to challenge preconceptions and engage dynamically with visitors of all ages. 

To learn more about Classes & Workshops Starting Soon at Main Line Art Center, please visit https://mainlineart.org/.