“The Mahaiwe, for instance, is not a restoration project for restoration’s sake. Our mission is to bring in top caliber offerings that are diverse and varied and appeal to all interests and ages, so that we become a gathering place,” she said. “You need to maintain standards, forge partnerships, and do things well.
As an example of a successful collaboration, she cited the relationship the Mahaiwe has developed with the Metropolitan Opera’s high definition broadcasts.
“None of us could have imagined the kind of success we’ve had with the opera series,” she said. ” ‘Madame Butterfly’ was packed and we had a waiting list.”
She also noted that the Mahaiwe has developed productive relationships with Symphony Space, “This American Life,” the Bardavon Opera House in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., and the Paul Taylor Dance Company which has referred to its Berkshire residency at the Mahaiwe in his advertisements.-David Scribner, Berkshire Record
See below for David Scribner’s full Berkshire Record article!
By David Scribner
GREAT BARRINGTON -On a dreary night in March, 700 people jammed the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, now open for its fifth season, to watch a high-definition presentation of Puccini’s “Madame Butterfly” for the Metropolitan Opera.
That crowd was reason enough, argues the Mahaiwe’s Executive Director Beryl Jolly, to declare the art center a critical and significant component of the South County economy, and Great Barrington in particular.
“We have helped stabilize the town by becoming an all-season operation,” she said. “What that crowd in March tells us is that given the right show we can sell out in any off-season month. That means that Great Barrington businesses are more stable because they don’t have to rely solely on a few months in summer. We are expanding on the vibrancy of the town. The town is lit up at night, with shops and restaurants staying open, in what is now a 12-month season.”
As with any nonprofit performance venue, it is hard to trace definitively the economic effect of the Mahaiwe. Still, economists who have examined the impact of destination sites such as the Mahaiwe, have developed a “multiplier” to estimate the impact, a combination of the venue’s expenses and what its visitors spend.
“Locally, we spend about $1 million annually on expenses and payroll, and we receive about $850,00 from ticket sales and facilities rentals,” Jolly explained. “That means, by commonly accepted methodology, the Mahaiwe’s economic contribution to the Great Barrington and South County economy is between $4 and $5 million.”
Last year, the performances at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center drew 40,000 people to Great Barrington. Of those, according to the MPAC’s own survey, 50 percent came from South County, suggesting that more than anything the Mahaiwe has become resource and attraction for local residents.
A significant portion of attendees – 17 percent -was drawn from the region that includes Columbia County and Albany to the west, Pioneer Valley to the east, and Litchfield County to the south.
Somewhat fewer, 13 percent, are drawn from the New York City metropolitan area.
Another measure of the Mahaiwe’s significance is what it contributes to that elusive concept, “quality of life” and what that means to making the region appealing to professionals, such as teachers, physicians and attorneys who may chose to live in the Berkshires for reasons other than high income.
“I haven’t heard anything directly relating to the Mahaiwe,” said Fairview Hospital CEO Eugene Dellea, “but generally speaking, living in an area with cultural opportunities appeals to doctors. Our practices are filled and have been pretty stable. And when we do have a slot, as we did with two primary care physicians last year, we found good candidates.”
Based on membership growth and ticket sales, Jolly predicts that, even in the deepening economic downturn, the Mahaiwe will maintain – and augment – its viability both as a performance center and as a community and educational resource.
“Our membership was at 550 a year ago. It’s now at 800,” she said.
And locating the Mahaiwe on a Web-based social networking site such as Facebook has bolstered ticket sales.
“Forty percent of our audiences have heard about a performance online, often through the artists’ sites or from fan clubs,” she said. “We have someone from Utah flying in to see Kathy Mattea on March 22.”
But the key for nonprofits such as the Mahaiwe to survive the recession, she said, is to focus on priorities and not hastily dilute programming.
“The Mahaiwe, for instance, is not a restoration project for restoration’s sake. Our mission is to bring in top caliber offerings that are diverse and varied and appeal to all interests and ages, so that we become a gathering place,” she said. “You need to maintain standards, forge partnerships, and do things well.
As an example of a successful collaboration, she cited the relationship the Mahaiwe has developed with the Metropolitan Opera’s high definition broadcasts.
“None of us could have imagined the kind of success we’ve had with the opera series,” she said. ” ‘Madame Butterfly’ was packed and we had a waiting list.”
She also noted that the Mahaiwe has developed productive relationships with Symphony Space, “This American Life,” the Bardavon Opera House in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., and the Paul Taylor Dance Company which has referred to its Berkshire residency at the Mahaiwe in his advertisements.
In addition, the performing arts center is expanding its educational programs, offering field trips for grades kindergarten through third grade, for such performances as “Stellaluna” on April 13. In May, the Mahaiwe is beginning a program of introducing high school students to the Metropolitan Opera.
“We want to become a resource for our schools,” Jolly said. “The more we can develop a creative education the better. For the truth is that art nourishes the soul, and can be a transformative experience. We want our kids to feel they live in a dynamic place.”
Do you have an item you would like to share about the creative economy? Suggest a Post to Berkshire Creative!
