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2022 SPECIAL SESSION I

22208173D
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 646
Offered May 31, 2022
Commending the McLean Project for the Arts.
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Patrons-- Favola, Barker, Bell and Saslaw
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WHEREAS, the mission of the McLean Project for the Arts is to exhibit the work of emerging and established artists from the mid-Atlantic region, promote public awareness and understanding of the concepts of contemporary art, and offer instruction and education in the visual arts; and

WHEREAS, the McLean Project for the Arts is celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2022 and its service to the community with engaging visual arts programming; and

WHEREAS, the McLean Project for the Arts was founded by local artists in 1962 as the Emerson Gallery and incorporated in 1985 as the McLean Project for the Arts; it is now entering its seventh decade as a continuously operating nonprofit visual arts center in Northern Virginia; and

WHEREAS, the McLean Project for the Arts provides exhibition space for outstanding contemporary artists with free entry for all, thereby making high-quality artwork accessible to all Fairfax County and Northern Virginia residents and visitors; and

WHEREAS, the McLean Project for the Arts contributes to an artistically and culturally vibrant community by serving a broad and diverse audience through professionally curated contemporary art exhibitions, ranging from the works of one or a few artists around a central theme to juried shows of the works of many artists; and

WHEREAS, the McLean Project for the Arts’ exhibitions reflect the diversity of the community and inspire conversations about important issues; and

WHEREAS, the McLean Project for the Arts centers its award-winning outreach program, ArtReach, on its professionally curated exhibitions, extending visual arts education deep into the community and devoting significant resources to underserved groups and individuals who may not otherwise have the opportunity to visit an art gallery or learn from working artists due to disability, income, age, or other limitations; and

WHEREAS, ArtReach’s director and the McLean Project for the Arts’ curator and artistic director collaborate to design a wholly new curriculum for each exhibition so that ArtReach participants, including students from Title I schools in Fairfax County with more than 80 percent free and reduced lunch enrollment, senior members of the community, and individuals with intellectual and physical disabilities, can engage in activities that extend art principles to math, science, literature, and other disciplines; and

WHEREAS, the McLean Project for the Arts is committed to inclusion, welcoming neurodiverse participants and interns from local high schools, and provides ArtReach participants with a safe, supportive environment, ensuring that their needs are not overlooked; and

WHEREAS, the McLean Project for the Arts fosters a sense of community with its beloved outdoor arts festival; the 15th annual MPAartfest on October 3, 2021, broke all previous records, with nearly 12,000 attendees and works from more than 40 artists on display, including a tent devoted to the work of neurodiverse artists; and

WHEREAS, the board members and staff of the McLean Project for the Arts actively collaborate to maintain an organizational culture that reflects the values of inclusion, equity, and the diversity of the region and the nation; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate of Virginia, That the McLean Project for the Arts hereby be commended on the occasion of its 60th anniversary; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Lori Carbonneau, executive director of the McLean Project for the Arts, as an expression of the Senate of Virginia’s admiration for the organization’s history, mission, and contributions to the Commonwealth.