Monongalia Arts Center
 |
|
| Established | 1976 (opened 1978) |
|---|---|
| Location | Morgantown, West Virginia |
| Type | Art museum (fine arts, applied arts, modern art), Theatre |
| Director | Ro Brooks |
| Website | www.monartscenter.com |
|
Old Morgantown Post Office
|
|
 
|
|
| Location | 107 High St., Morgantown, West Virginia |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 39°37′41″N 79°57′29″W / 39.62806°N 79.95806°WCoordinates: 39°37′41″N 79°57′29″W / 39.62806°N 79.95806°W |
| Area | 0.5 acres (0.20 ha) |
| Built | 1913 |
| Architect | Wenderoth, Oscar |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival |
| NRHP Reference # | 79002593 |
| Added to NRHP | March 28, 1979 |
The Monongalia Arts Center, or MAC, is located in Morgantown, West Virginia near the campus of West Virginia University. The MAC opened to the public in 1978 as a non-profit arts and culture center, which it remains today. The MAC’s mission is "to provide a home for the arts where the work of visual and performing artists is showcased and interest in the arts is nurtured through ongoing educational programs." The building hosts two galleries, a theatre for the performing arts, and is undergoing production on other projects, including an Internet radio station and the establishment of the Tanner Theatre as a regular venue for touring bands. The building is also recognized on the National Register of Historic Places.
The neoclassical building that houses the Monongalia Arts Center was constructed in 1913 and federally owned until it was purchased in September 1975 by the Louis F. Tanner family. It was designed by Oscar Wenderoth in Classical Revival style. The building served historically as a post office, and it was known as Old Morgantown Post Office.
Mabel Tanner, founder of the Morgantown Players and local art critic for over 40 years, had long since envisioned "a facility complete with theatre, art gallery, exhibit area, classrooms and workshop space, that would house the performing and creative arts and provide a central point from which to foster the arts and encourage their growth." After her death in 1974, her family purchased the building and then established the Monongalia County Arts Association, Inc. in 1976 to begin work upon a community arts center, thus giving birth to Tanner's reverie.
In 1978, after two years of planning and development, the Mon. County Arts Association officially opened the MAC to the public.
In 1979, the MAC was added to the National Register of Historic Places as "Old Morgantown Post Office". It is located in the Downtown Morgantown Historic District, listed in 1996.
...
Wikipedia