Because of you, The Meyer is grateful.

More families are asking for affordable ways to make art. More artists are looking for somewhere to teach, somewhere to exhibit, somewhere to be paid for the work they do. The asking has grown louder every year, and The Meyer Art Center still has no building to put any of it in.

And still, year after year, the answer has been yes. Classes have run in borrowed rooms. Workshops have run at the library. A van has driven out to meet people where they already are.

That is not luck, and it is not free. It is you — and The Meyer is grateful.

Did you know?

Your investment in The Meyer Art Center’s operations and programs keeps art accessible, educational and vibrant all year round. Because of generous donors like you:

• Children of all ages have discovered creativity through Meyer art education.
• More than 2,500 students have gained confidence by exploring creativity, new skills and new ideas with Meyer-led programs.
• Families have taken part in affordable programs and workshops at the library and at local venues.
• More than 100 local artists have had opportunities to teach, to exhibit, and to connect with people of every age.
• 300 volunteer hours support the events and programs behind all of it.
• Afternoon of the Arts reaches further every term. Three more schools — Elger Bay, Twin City and Stanwood Elementary — join in the spring, on the way to every school in the Stanwood-Camano district.

It is not only for the children

It is easy to talk about this work as though it were only for kids. It is not. The adults who come back to a wheel they last touched at college, the retired people who wanted to paint for forty years and finally have a Tuesday free, the artists in their thirties trying to build a teaching practice in a town this size — they are all in these rooms too.

Every class taught, every person inspired, every community member welcomed through our classes and events is made possible in part by supporters like you.

The only way this scales is with you

Here is the honest part. Programs cost money in the year they run, not in the year the building opens. The classes happening this month are paid for this month.

Before the Doors Open is the year-end campaign, November 1 through December 31, with a $100,000 goal. Two moments inside it:

• Giving Tuesday — Tuesday, December 1. The global day of giving, and the opening of the season.
• Holiday Open House and Student Art Show — Wednesday, December 16, 5:00 to 8:00 PM at The Floyd in Stanwood. Free to attend. Student artwork, refreshments, handmade ornaments and cards, and a hands-on art activity. Families welcome.

Gifts are matched by board funds while those funds last.

Give in the way that works for you

• One-time or recurring gift — a recurring gift is the quiet one: it keeps programs running all year rather than all at once.
• Donor Advised Fund — write to us and we will send transfer instructions.
• Stock transfer — give appreciated shares directly.
• Mail a check — Meyer Art Center, PO Box 2528, Stanwood WA 98292.
• IRA or RMD — a tax-wise way to give at year end for many donors. Check with your own adviser about what applies to you.

They all land in the same place: The Meyer Art Center, its programs and its people. They are on the donate page, and development@meyerartcenter.org is the address for a conversation about a larger gift.

Thank you

Thank you for helping serve this mission. Together, we get to keep saying yes.

— The Board of Directors, The Meyer Art Center