Vision…where we strive to be
The Avalon Foundation will be a leading catalyst for the arts, education
and culture on the Mid Eastern Shore.
Mission…Our fundamental purpose
The Avalon Foundation provides the leadership, the venue and a variety
of programming to improve the quality of life on the Mid-Shore.
It accomplishes this through its diversified arts and educational
programs, through community alliances and by serving as a facilitator
for community groups.
Description of the Organization:
The Avalon Foundation, Inc. is a 501(c)3 charitable organization
and operates three facilities along with a broad range of educational
and arts programs, in the heart of historic downtown Easton, on
the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Easton has continually been a community
recognized as one of the ten best small arts town in the United
States.
The first of the Avalon Foundation’s three facilities is the
historic Avalon Theatre, an 86 year old art deco
theatre that serves as a community performing arts center and meeting
venue; the second facility is the Easton Resource Center/
Easton Main Street, which operates as a meeting venue and
community special events planner and facilitator for over 100 different
community organizations; and finally Mid-Shore Community
Television (MCTV), the area’s public community access
cable station located in the Avalon Theatre.
The Avalon Foundation’s programs and outreach touch tens of thousands of individuals throughout the area along with most of Talbot County’s non-profit organizations through various types of programming including:
- The summer outdoor series consisting of a number of concerts placed in a variety of different locales, including Easton’s parks and Town Center. Thousands have attended the concert series at one point in cooperation with other community celebrations, which have the ability of reaching out to under-served populations reflecting the cultural diversity of the community.
- The production of free outdoor concerts, festivals, and other community arts outreach events and celebrations, including live music at the Farmers’ Market, Holiday Activities and Parades, the First Friday Gallery Walks and Cinema By Starlight
- The more than 200 events and arts performances of all kinds held annually at the historic Avalon Theatre. These performances range from bluegrass, jazz, blues, gospel, Celtic, choral and classical music to films, dance, art exhibits, poetry readings, student musical and dramatic performances, radio and television programs, lectures, forums, plays and musical theatre.
- The more than 100 community and arts groups who use the Avalon Theatre and the Easton Resource Center as a meeting, rehearsal or performance venue for whom the Avalon Foundation is pleased to offer them as a place for these groups to call “home”.
- MCTV, which provides continuous 24-hours of community service programming 7 days a week, including live telecast of Town and County government meetings, special events and performances at the Avalon Theatre, a community calendar and interview programs.
- The thousands of residents and visitors, who find their community events and arts information and rely on Mid-Shore Community Television (MCTV), the Easton Resource Center, the Avalon’s Passport to the Arts program, which is distributed through the Star-Democrat as well as all county school children, the Theatre’s quarterly calendar, and the Avalon’s on-line community calendar .
- The continuation of the Avalon Foundation’s role as a community facilitator, strategic planner, arts management mentor and catalyst brining together Talbot County’s arts and non-profit infrastructure to focus on common community programming, such as Plein Air Easton Arts Competition and Festival.
The Avalon Foundation, Inc. is directed by a Board of Trustees representative of the community, has a balanced budget and receives financial support from government, corporations, foundations and individuals. The Avalon Foundation’s income is representative of its growing outreach and breadth of its programming and there are approximately 15,000 “owners” who regularly receive information about Avalon programs.
The Avalon Foundation’s continuing mission is “to improve the quality of life for the residents of Easton, Talbot County and the Eastern Shore. It accomplishes this through its diversified arts and educational programs, by serving as a meeting venue for community groups and a home for arts organizations, and by building alliances with other organizations that serve the community.