MAC Celebrates 40 Years of History, Culture, Art

CAPE MAY — Without MAC, where would Cape May be now?
That was the question presented in the form of play as part of the 40th anniversary of the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanities (MAC).
On Sunday, Nov. 7, MAC celebrated it longevity, its volunteers and held its annual meeting at First Baptist Church.
Outgoing board president Diane Hutchinson was presented MAC’s Honor Award by MAC Executive Director Michael Zuckerman and Mayor Edward J. Mahaney Jr.
Zuckerman thanked her for three years as president, supporting the Cape May Music Festival and opening her home to tours as the Designer Show House.
The mayor described MAC as creating a “presence for culture, art, and history in the City of Cape May.” He said when he is visiting other parts of the state, there is sometimes the perception that MAC is a “major, corporate conglomerate.”
“They don’t realize that basically it is made up of volunteers from all around the city and the region,” said Mahaney. “They can’t believe when I explain it to them that such positive results and such major accomplishments could be made with a group of volunteers.”
He said the city would not have many of its arts, culture, history and recreation and social events without MAC.
A highlight of the event was play written by Rev. Jeff Elliott of Cape May Lutheran Church, a MAC board member. He said the play was based on the movie “It’s a Wonderful Life.”
Elliott said his script “morphed” into a radio play.
“The premise here: What would Cape May be like if MAC had not existed?” he said.
Ray Crew, one of the actors, said the play was being recorded for broadcast on WCFA 101.5 on “Theater of the Mind.” The script featured the Spirit of Cape May Past, played by Sandy Nichol, the Spirit of Cape May Present, played by Don McMain and the Spirit of Cape May Future played by Rev. Elliot.
Robert Heinly played the spirit of Dr. Emlen Physick, a character he portrays throughout the year.
The Spirit of Cape May Past portrayed the town without MAC as having a Promenade filled with T-shirt and pizza shops and a tattoo parlor but not the Emlen Physick Estate or gourmet restaurants.
The Spirit of Cape May Present showed a Cape May without MAC lacking bed and breakfast inns, due to the town having only a 10-week tourist season and no Victorian Week, Spring Festival or Christmas House Tours.
“They roll up the sidewalks on Labor Day and everyone goes on unemployment,” said Dr. Physick.
The Spirit of Cape May Future portrayed a Cape May without MAC as a party town.
The first district legislative team: Sen. Jeff Van Drew, and assemblymen Matt Milam and Nelson Albano presented a proclamation to MAC “for a job well done.”
Van Drew said the state and nation was going through a “firestorm of a time,” with challenges greater than he had ever seen in his lifetime.
“We can not forget how important history is, and culture, and art and education,” he said,
Zuckerman said Albano was chair of the Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee. He said anything to do with the state Department of Environment Protection (DEP) comes before Albano’s committee including historic sites.
Albano said Zuckerman, MAC staff and volunteers did a tremendous job.
Milam has been appointed to chair a new state Tourism and Arts Committee, said Zuckerman.
While there has been talk of cuts, Milam said the state needed to protect its revenue streams, which are tourism, arts and history.
During MAC’s annual meeting, McMain was nominated as new board president, Diane Hutchinson as first vice president, Jerry Reeves as second vice president and Tom Carroll as third vice president.