About the Center
MHCA DOVER Cinema and Arts (formerly, Memorial Hall Center for the Arts) is a 501(c) (3), EIN #04-3375055, not-for-profit charitable arts organization founded in 1997. Our mission: to engage the community in the arts. For IRS Affirmation Letter attesting to 501(c)(3) status, please click here and here.
Governed by an all-volunteer Board of Directors, MHCA, for seventeen seasons, endeavored to present a rich and diverse program of professional live performances primarily at Memorial Hall in downtown Wilmington, Vermont. Fare for the summer and fall seasons typically included cabaret featuring Broadway artists, classical, blues, jazz, nostalgia, or folk concerts, and at least one play or musical from a local community theatre troupe.
In 2012, MHCA purchased the recently closed movie theatre in Dover with the goal of establishing a home for the arts, while preserving the venue as a local cinema for residents and visitors. True to its artistic roots, MHCA outfitted the cinema with the highest quality projection and sound equipment in the industry.
Initially wishing to maintain its mission of presenting live performances, the Board of Directors soon recognized a conundrum: the extensive renovations the venue would require to enable live performances would adversely affect the experience of our dedicated movie goers. Thus, the exploration and presentation of live performance arts would, going forward, be primarily through the use of MHCA’s excellent cinematic equipment. Examples of such use can be found under the heading of News and Special Events, with more coming in the future. Opera, ballet, concerts and plays recorded live in venues throughout the world are planned for presentation.
As a 501(c)(3), MHCA has the obligation to present artistic limited-release films, biographies, documentaries, or films about important historical events. Exactly because these films typically do not produce robust box office sales, the Internal Revenue Service extends a tax deduction for donations made to MHCA. Donations from generous donors allow our 501(c)(3) to fulfill its educational mission.
Ticket sales alone do not cover the expenses of operation and capital improvements. Your financial support through membership provides you the means to share in our mission of expanding the arts in the community. Serving not only Dover, but all the residents and visitors of southern Vermont, southwestern New Hampshire, and the Berkshires of Massachusetts, MHCA continues to attract an ever-widening audience.
Take a moment to consider the importance of our mission. Membership is the lifeblood of the arts center. Please, become a member and assure the Center’s continued presence in the wider community.
(Below is not a fillable form. Please copy text and paste into your text program. Thank you!) OR click here for a form you can copy and save to your desktop.
Yes! I would like to join MHCA.
Name: _______________________________________________________
Address: ______________________________________________________
Phone: ( ___ ) _________ Email:____________________________________
Membership categories: ___Friend $30 ___Patron $50 ___Family $75
___Benefactor $100 ___Sustainer $250 ___Director $500 ___Producer $1000
Please make your check payable to MHCA, Inc. and mail to:
P.O. Box 1720, Wilmington, VT 05363. Thank you for your donation!
Your contribution is completely tax-deductible.
EIN: 04-3375055 (Memorial Hall Center for the Arts, Inc.)