Wells Fargo Donates to MPAC Arts Education

The Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC) received a grant in the amount of $5,000 from Wells Fargo Foundation to support its Explorations Through the Arts program, which provides live, educational performances onstage at MPAC for more than 11,000 students and their teachers each school year.

"Mayo Performing Arts Center thanks Wells Fargo for its continued support of our Explorations programs." said Allison Larena, President and CEO, Mayo Performing Arts Center. "Support from organizations such as Wells Fargo enables us to provide arts experiences for thousands of school age children annually who otherwise may not be able to experience live theater."

The Explorations program supports two essential components of MPAC's arts education mission - nurturing an appreciation for the performing arts in school children and enriching and enhancing classroom learning. Students and their teachers from over 100 school districts throughout New Jersey come to MPAC for Explorations school-time educational performances. Explorations performances utilize the arts to supplement classroom learning in a variety of subjects including classic literature, math, science, history and language arts. 

Performances meet NJ Core Curriculum Content Standards and are geared towards specific grade levels, ranging from Kindergarten through twelfth grade.  Prior to performances, MPAC provides teachers with study guides that help them prepare their students ahead of time and reinforce the material in the classroom afterwards.

The program also provides opportunities for students to interact with the artists through post-performance discussions and lecture demonstrations. For many students, attending an Explorations programs may be the first time they are experiencing a live performance in a professional theater environment.