On behalf of the McLean Project for the Arts (MPA), I'm writing to thank our McLean community for another year of enthusiastic support for the 11th annual MPAartfest. This year, close to 6,000 local residents joined our celebration of community and the arts!
MPAartfest is successful each year due to our volunteers, sponsors, and the many individuals and community organizations. In total, more than 200 volunteers planned and worked on MPAartfest, alongside MPA's small but dedicated staff and our amazing ArtFest Operations Director – Molly Kelly Ryan.
MPA is especially grateful to our MPAartfest Event Partners for 2017: Lead Community Sponsor – the McLean Community Center; and our two event co-sponsors – the Fairfax County Park Authority, and the newly opened TD Bank.
One of the highlights new to MPAartfest this year was an exciting lineup of six local bands, coordinated by our musical impresario, Ken Avis, and generously sponsored by UBS Financial Services Inc. – The ESOP Group.
Sincere thanks to Paul Kohlenberger and the Greater McLean Chamber of Commerce for developing a parking and shuttle bus plan for the day of the event, as well as the Montessori School of McLean and Chesterbrook Residences who provided our shuttle buses. And thanks also goes out to our parking sponsors: Langley Shopping Center, McLean Properties, FitzGerald Property Management, and McLean Square. Event setup went especially smoothly this year with the enthusiastic assistance of local Boy Scout Troop 128.
MPA was proud to host our community partners: the McLean Art Society, McLean Community Players and 1st Stage, The Woman's Club of McLean, New Dominion Women’s Club, Friends of McLean Community Center and the Greater McLean Chamber of Commerce also participated as partners and volunteers. And it was a delight to see the children participating in the creation of a large mural depicting fall colors to be displayed at the offices of one of our long-time supporters, TTR Sotheby's International Realty, and to see the beautiful Children's ArtWalk, once again brought to life by the New Dominion Women’s Club.
Thank you to all of the organizations who made our STEAM Village possible, including Music & Arts; Cannon Design, who sponsored The Potomac School Robotics team; BOWA; Capital One; and McLean Community Foundation.
And as is always the case, art-lovers were well nourished by our food vendors: j. Gilberts wood-fired steaks & seafood, Lebanese Taverna, The Big Cheese, Crepe Love, and Sweetbites Cafe & Bakery, StarNut Gourmet and Starbucks. MPA is especially grateful for the generosity of both j. gilberts and the Wine Outlet for helping to kick off MPAartfest in style, with fabulous food and beverages for our Soiree Celebration – on a beautiful fall evening, organized by a fabulous group of local volunteers led by volunteer chair Fizzah Gocke!
And our final thanks go out to the local McLean press, the McLean District Police, the firefighters' EMT crew and our many sponsors, listed at www.mpaart.org.
Thank you again McLean! We hope many of you joined us this year, and look forward to seeing you again next year for MPAartfest 2018, Sunday, Oct. 7, 2018!
Lori Carbonneau
Executive Director
McLean Project for the Arts