In an effort to better serve its community and broaden its impact, The Downtown Columbia Arts and Culture Commission has announced several organizational updates, including a new name—the Merriweather Arts and Culture Center—and new staff and board members.
“These are exciting times for the Merriweather Arts and Culture Center. We have a new name, new staff, new board members, and new programs, all while staying rooted in the shared values of our community,” said Chair of the MACC Board of Directors, Candace Dodson Reed. “Our new brand better reflects our ownership of the iconic Merriweather Post Pavilion and our efforts to make it the most dynamic and impactful cultural asset it can be.”
MACC’s mission is to reflect the diverse community it currently serves, ensuring their programs are accessible, affordable, enriching, and inclusive. Since acquiring Merriweather in 2016, MACC has worked to expand community events at the venue and surrounding area.
In addition to the rebranding, MACC today announced the hiring of Sharniece Adams as its first Program Manager. A native of Baltimore and a classically trained trombonist and vocalist, Adams joins MACC after several years with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s “OrchKids” program, bringing with her experience with both artists and students. Adams’ first project with MACC was managing a four-day school-based residency with The Reminders, a Hip-Hop duo who enlightened and entertained more than 1,200 students at seven local middle schools during their stay in Columbia in March.
MACC is excited to announce the promotion of Megan Wills to the newly created position of Communications Manager. Wills has dedicated her career to serving nonprofits and arts organizations and has performed as a comedic actor and improviser for most of her life. After having supported both programming and communications at MACC, she will now focus her energy on expanding awareness of MACC and its programs, including managing the organization’s rebranding process.
“We have been steadily growing our programming over the last couple years, and the time has come for our staffing structure to grow to maintain the high level of quality and professionalism to which we aspire,” said Ian Kennedy, Executive Director of MACC. “Sharniece and Megan will help us bring new ideas and arts experiences to our community, and I am thrilled to have them on the team.”
MACC plans to post an exciting summer program lineup at www.merriweatherarts.org, its new web address. These programs reflect the diversity and accessibility that MACC plans to continue in future years. The following is a sample of the upcoming community programs:
• The Howard County Library System’s Battle of the Books is back for another year on April 28
• Teen Night, youth are invited to Merriweather for a free night of fun on May 13
• Guster and the Howard County Youth Orchestra to perform on the Merriweather stage on May 21
• Free community concerts at Color Burst Park starting June 8.
• Free Merriweather movie nights starting June 2023.
MACC also recently added two new members to its Board of Directors, Elizabeth Kromm and Barry Curtis. Kromm has an extensive and distinguished history of community service in many volunteer and professional capacities, including most recently as the Vice President of Population Health and Advancement at Howard County General Hospital. Currently the owner and President of Best Fence, Curtis brings decades of finance and business experience to complement existing expertise on the MACC board.
“While MACC is new, its story has been a long time in the making,” said Kennedy. “It started with the original idea of Merriweather as Columbia’s cultural centerpiece, continued through the near-closure of the venue 20 years ago, and now it has come full circle—with a capable, professional, and collaborative nonprofit owner, dedicated to nurturing a strong artistic ecosystem in Columbia with Merriweather at the center.”
Taken together, these changes position MACC well for growth in 2023 and beyond.
