Past Events

MUNROE SATURDAY NIGHTS

MCA continues its Munroe Saturday Nights performance series this fall on October 15th at 7:30PM with a stage reading of Don Cohen's Length of Stay directed by Melinda Lopez. Performances are free to the public (donations are welcome). Seating is limited so make a reservation now by emailing saturdays@munroecenter.org.

MUNROE-WIDE OPEN HOUSE

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 12-4PM
ALL ARE WELCOME!



Join us for an afternoon of free art, performance, and snacks at Munroe Center for the Arts’ annual Open House and Open Studios. The bill includes: Artist Open Studios... Photographic Exhibit by Lexington Photographers...Plein Air Painting with Munroe Studio Artist Emily Passman will be on the front lawn. The Lexington Music School will have musical performances in the main studio (first floor) throughout the afternoon.  An Empty Bowls Charity Event will take place in the Art Room from 12-1:30p.  Watercolor, Children's Art, Stained Glass and Illustration Teachers will demonstrate and show their work in the afternoon, in the Art Room.  At 2:00 pm, the Children's Arts Corner will have a free singalong with  Jean Schwartz.  Chung Do Kwan Tae Kwon Do school will demonstrate board breaking, complex moves and kicks, at 1:00 pm in the afternoon. A free children's dance class (for 3-year olds) will take place at the Dance Inn in the morning, and a free adult hip hop class will take place at 12:00 noon in the Dance Inn studios in the basement.  All afternoon, many free events will be open to all.  Please join us for a taste of what Munroe has to offer: 1403 Massachusetts Avenue, Lexington, MA 02420. 781.682.6040.

ends this spring performance series with

Folk Music

June 18th @ 8-10p

Please join us for the final performance of our spring series with an evening of Folk Music featuring the Lenny Solomon Band and Delmmark Goldfarb.

The Lenny Solomon Band. Lenny Solomon's style has been compared to early Dylan, Guy Clark, and Jerry Jeff Walker. In the 1970s Solomon was a fixture at the Idler Coffeehouse in Harvard Square, Cambridge, where he performed for over eight years. The Idler was a training ground for such luminaries as Geoff Bartley, Paul Rishell, Spider John Koerner, and Ric Ocasek. He shared bills with performers such as Chris Smither, Carolyn Hester, Bonnie Raitt, and Spider John. Performing original material, Solomon has released four CDs, three of which, Not Life Threatening, Armando's Pie, and Maybe Today are available from his website, www.solomonband.com. Lenny will be performing with Dennis Gurgul, Bill Gibbs and Don Barry.

Delmark Goldfarb is "the best new writer of good-time music," according to former Lovin' Spoonful frontman John Sebastian. Del's tune "Portable Man" is featured on the Appleseed Records' "Give Us Your Poor" compilation, along with artists such as Pete Seeger and Keb' Mo' and he can be seen in the new jug band documentary,
"Chasin' Gus' Ghost." Witty, informative and casually profound, this sharp fingerpickin' hipster ex-Marine "blue-collar scholar" (with a background in busking) delivers a relaxed but rousing performance. A recent music review (Kingston Daily Freeman) cited Del's all-original solo CD "a must-have for any purist."

Creating a new opportunity for Lexingtonians to enjoy live performance that is nearby, informal, and affordable, Munroe Center for the Arts has launched a Saturday evening performance series – Munroe Saturday Nights.

An experiment in local, non-profit entertainment, Munroe Saturday Nights showcases veteran performers from the Lexington area – with no admission charge. The performances will take place in the intimate “Art Room” at the Munroe Center.

The inaugural series of Munroe Saturday Nights closes with with this evening of Folk Music June 18.

Performances are free to the public. Because seating is limited to 50, reservations are suggested, but not required. To reserve a spot, email saturdays@munroecenter.org.

Also drop us an email to suggest performers for future events – and to offer volunteer assistance or financial support for this innovative new program.

Halloween - Creative Scarecrows in Emery Park (in front of the Depot)
Sat., Oct. 30!

Scarecrow by Veronica Wharton & Judith Cooper

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Munroe Marches in Patriot's Day Parade

Happy Munroe staff, clients, and supporters celebrate the birth of the nation.

Flag side of art carried by Munroe artists, designed by Lotus Lien, Nancy Mimno, Emily Passman, and Gillian Ross, and decorated by ArtSpan workshop participants. Children ran around the trio carrying stars and stripes on sticks and shouted "America, the Beautiful!"

Van Gogh side of art (Starry Night). When this part of the project faced forwards, children chanted "Go, Go, Van Gogh!"

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Hundreds Attend 2d Annual Lexington Open Studios

See the Lexington Open Studios website for more information.

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Chamber of Commerce Honors MCA

From left: MCA Executive Director Christian Herold; MCA/LACS artist & instructor Emily Passman; LACS Executive Director Jean Hart. Andrea Joliat Photo

Munroe Holds Holiday Benefit Show

Julian Miller, chair of MCA's board, collects tickets. Accompanying him are "Candy Canes" from Lexington School of Ballet's Nutcracker Suite (visible from the left are Esme Goldfinger and Kelley Harding). Katherine Herold photo.

Munroe schools celebrated their first-ever group performance at Lexington High School December 5 with nearly 200 dancers from the Dance Inn and Lexington School of Ballet. Lexington Music School students and staff performed, including internationally-celebrated baritone Robert Honeysucker. Lexington Players Director Sal Jones emceed, Children's Arts Corner held a sing-along, and MCA artists along with ArtSpan students showed art in the foyer.

Click Here for the Program!

Town Meeting Tables Munroe Attempt to Purchase Building

Proposal Available Here
(large PDF)

While all of us in the MCA community are disappointed by Town Meeting's vote, we are immensely gratified by the strong and widespread support for our programs and our contributions to the Lexington community. We believe that, in the end, MCA will thrive in a permanent home here.

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Munroe Center for the Arts seeks to purchase the 1904 Munroe School Building which artists and Munroe performing arts schools have used since 1984. "We are thrilled to think that this great old building will be available forever for the arts for Lexington," said Executive Director Christian Herold. Herold delivered the Proposal to the Town of Lexington on October 9.

View letters of recommendaton appended to the Proposal from Marge Battin, Mary Jo Bohart, Fred Johnson, and Elsa Sullivan and a letter of recommendation from Marian Cohen. View the 2007 Benchmark Study, referenced in the Proposal.

The Town of Lexington issued a request for proposals (RFP) August 26 that gives preference to an arts education center.

Munroe Signs License Agreement with Lexington

Munroe Center for the Arts in the early summer signed a license agreement with the Town of Lexington retroactive to October 2008. As of October, 2008 Munroe is paying Lexington $2,000 a month for the use of the buidling.

School News

What is the Building Restoration Fee?

Munroe last year instituted a modest fee required for all students taking classes at any school at Munroe to address the less capital-intensive parts of building restoration. This $25 fee for each student--with a $60 maximum per family--will be assessed each school year, beginning with fall registrations. Please remember that this fee is due only once a year. The fee demonstrates our collective dedication to revitalizing this much-beloved home for the arts in Lexington. If you have already paid your fee with another registration for one Munroe School this year, you do not need to pay it again.

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Fundraising at Munroe

Click here to make a tax-deductible donation

(or mail MCA a check!). Thank you!

ArtWalk, May 2008

Munroe resurrected this event from 2004, and in close collaboration with the Lexington Arts and Crafts society, organized dozens of artists works in downtown shops, an ArtCycle Parade, and a day of performances on the Visitor's Center lawn. See the ArtWalk web page here.