MFAA HomeMaywood Fine Arts Association (MFAA) was established in 1996 by concerned parents and community leaders in the Village of Maywood, Illinois to help combat escalating rates of drug activity, gang involvement, and teen pregnancies by providing enrichment through arts education and community outreach programs. The mission of Maywood Fine Arts Association is to provide a safe and nurturing environment in which children can develop skills and appreciation of the arts that will enable them to succeed academically and socially and obtain higher educational opportunities. Maywood Fine Arts provides as many children as possible with the opportunity to study the arts, thereby expanding their cultural horizons and allowing them to envision their possibilities and encouraging them to reach their full potential.
Located in western Cook County, the Village of Maywood has a 12% unemployment rate with 11% of its residents at the poverty level. In addition, more than 30% of the population is under 19 years of age, and 30% of the village’s households have a single, female head-of-household. As a low-income community with one of the highest crime rates in the state, Maywood has very few enrichment programs that provide sustained and long-term opportunities for children. Eight of the 10 elementary schools in the Maywood-Melrose Park School District 89 have been on the state’s Academic Warning List for poor performance on standardized tests. With the schools focused on basic academics for children, many parents turn to Maywood Fine Arts as the only alternative within the community that they can depend on to provide enrichment in other areas. While MFAA charges nominal fees for lessons and classes, no child is turned away due to lack of financial resources.
Because MFAA was formed out of community concern, residents from Maywood and surrounding communities have been an integral part of the organization’s growth and success. Through grass-roots efforts within the community, as well as support from state officials and business and civic leaders, MFAA purchased and transformed a previously abandoned and boarded up bank building into a vibrant center of arts activity in downtown Maywood. From this initiative, MFAA now serves as an anchor site for redevelopment of several other businesses. With a full schedule of classes plus special events at the center, Maywood Fine Arts has seen a gradual decline in gang and drug activity as the streets fill with children coming and going to class, with watchful parents and MFAA staff helping to safeguard and monitor the neighborhood.
In September 2004, Maywood Fine Arts Association merged with Stairway of the Stars and Mr. Ernie’s Flip, Flop, and Fly – dance and tumbling schools respectively—in order to meet the growing demand for activities in the community under the Maywood Fine Arts name. From this merger, MFAA’s enrollment grew from 300 students to more than 1,000 and instructors from the two organizations joined MFAA’s faculty. The demographics of Maywood Fine Arts students continue to reflect serving approximately 70 percent African American, 20 percent Hispanic/Latino, and 10 percent Caucasian and Asian children.
To manage the increased demands created with the larger enrollment and additional faculty, MFAA hired its first full-time salaried position, Managing Director, Katherine Bus. As Managing Director, Ms. Bus oversees all day-to-day operations of MFAA and assists the president and board of directors with fundraising and strategic planning.
With a dedicated 16-person board made up of parents and business and community partners, as well as a strong core of volunteers, MFAA has sustained its growth while focusing on key priorities to maintain a safe and enriching environment in the arts for young people in this high-risk community. Whether or not they become artists, with their experiences at MFAA students learn to express themselves in different ways and to find resources within themselves that will carry them into their adult lives. With involvement from parents and support from the entire community, Maywood Fine Arts Association serves as a critical link between families and often opens doors for parents to engage with their children while developing their own awareness of and appreciation for the arts.