Mayo Performing Arts Center is where our community comes together to be inspired, entertained and uplifted by the power and the passion of the performing arts. Since 1994, MPAC has been the heart of arts and entertainment in the Northern New Jersey region.
MPAC brings the world’s greatest entertainers, New Jersey-based artistic organizations, and emerging and dynamic new performers to our region through over 200 events annually. Through arts education and diverse community engagement programs, MPAC is committed to providing cultural enrichment opportunities to experience and participate in the arts. It is our belief that everyone should be able to engage with the arts in a welcome and inclusive environment.
Empowering All Voices
We believe MPAC is a better organization when we encourage and promote openminded thinking and honest dialogue. The more inclusive we are, the better we are. MPAC utilizes the Arts as a catalyst for cross-cultural collaborations that celebrate and embrace our community’s rich diversity.
At MPAC, we strive for:
- Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Accessibility in our workforce, volunteers, programming and patrons.
- A culture of respect for all, regardless of background, means or any identity-based differences.
- Community engagement and an awareness that our actions have the power to tell stories and amplify voices.
Our Impact
Arts and culture are central to what makes New Jersey a special place to live, work, visit, and raise a family. In every community, there is a need for residents to access work opportunities, opportunities to enjoy themselves through entertainment and recreation, opportunities for people or all ages to learn, develop new skills, and express themselves, and opportunities to gather and enjoy the company of other community members. MPAC, a thriving performing arts center, accomplishes all of this – and drives over $18 million back into our local economy every year!
Like exercise and good nutrition, the arts are good for our health. Performing arts centers enhance the health and well-being of their communities through their productions, programming, and outreach. Youth who engage in the arts – like the myriad education opportunities MPAC provides – have improved mental and psycho-social health outcomes. In fact, students who engage with the arts are 24% less likely to experience depression and 22% less likely to engage in substance use. Performing arts learning experiences strengthens academic skills development, improves overall school performance, and enhances post-school outcomes for students.
The 2024-2025 season is made possible, in part, by a grant the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, as well as support received from the F.M. Kirby Foundation and numerous corporations, foundations and individuals. Mayo Performing Arts Center has been designated a Major Presenting Organization by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.
Mayo Performing Arts Center was named 2016 Outstanding Historic Theatre by the League of Historic American Theatres, and is ranked in the top 50 mid-sized performing arts centers by Pollstar Magazine.
Mayo Performing Arts Center is owned and operated by The South Street Theater Co., Inc., a registered nonprofit organization as defined under section 501(c)(3) of the IRS code. Our federal tax identification number is 22-3348540. Donations to MPAC are tax deductible.
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