A love for the arts in the heART of Middletown is growing, and you're invited to draw, sing and dance to the beat. 

Celebrating its Fifth Anniversary in 2012, the Middletown Arts Center, located next to the Middletown Train Station on 36 Church Street, offers affordable year-round events and programs for all ages, abilities and residents in and outside of Middletown. 

In 2011 alone, the Arts Center’s professional team of over 20 instructors, led by a dedicated Executive Director named Maggie O’Brien, educated and entertained nearly 60,000 visitors.

The Arts Center is run and funded by the nonprofit volunteer Board of the Middletown Township Cultural and Arts Council with support from Middletown Township and public and private donors. Thanks to this unique partnership, the Arts Center has proved to be a thriving community resource dedicated to cultivating and celebrating local talent and providing affordable arts programming for residents and visitors.

The Arts Center is a 23,000-square-foot facility, featuring multiple classrooms, a dance studio, a theater, a computer lab and an art gallery. Its beautiful outdoor grounds feature expansive lawns, a pond, a patio and a 9/11 Memorial Garden— all ideal spaces for outdoor reflection, painting, yoga and concert performances. The renovated building, once the late Ed Banfield’s moving and storage warehouse, has won numerous awards for its programs and design.

The Middletown Arts Center invites children of all ages to enjoy a rich variety of classes in the arts, dance, theatre, music and more. Some class highlights include "Let's Get Messy" art class with Miss Laurie, smocking with Miss Laura, Fashion Illustration with Miss Pat, Irish step dancing with Miss Gillian and the high-energy cartooning and claymation classes of Art Kaney AKA The Doodle Dude. Princesses and princes will also leap high into the sky and sing to the beat with Miss Lisa and Miss Deena, while babies, toddlers and preschoolers groove and play with singer/songwriter Miss Sherri of Honey Child Music Academy. 

Be sure to also inquire about the Arts Center's classes for adults. While the kids are exploring their creativity, parents can take classes in painting, music, photography, sewing, yoga, tai chi, ballroom, tap, Argentine Tango, Irish Step, and even Hula Hooping. Be sure to inquire about classes for seniors and special learners. 

The Middletown Arts Center also hosts theatrical events, concerts, exhibits, dance socials and workshops in collaboration with leading arts and community groups such as the Middletown Township Education Association, Two River Theater Company, Camp Jinka of the David S. Zocchi Brain Tumor Center at Monmouth Medical Center and The Arc of Monmouth. It also boasts successful partnerships with many of the region's public/private schools.

Perhaps the most exciting feature about the Middletown Arts Center is its affordable class rates, which can offer residents a minimum savings of a few hundred dollars when compared to other programs in the region.

Call 732-706-4100 or visit www.middletownarts.org for more information on the Middletown Arts Center. You can also visit them on Facebook for daily pictures and posts on classes, programs and events. Trial a class at no cost and feel free to visit them for a tour of the facility. 

Currently On View in the Middletown Arts Center Gallery

The World of Chinese Brush Painting on view through September 28^th. Participating Chinese brush painting artists include Li Shan, Liu Yung, Aisin-Gioro Hengyi, Cong Zhiyuan and Xu Jiufang. 

American Artists Professional League 2012 Fall Open State Juried Exhibition of Representational Art on view through September 28^th. Closing Reception: Friday, September 28 • 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. Award Ceremony will be held at Noon.

Gallery Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday - Saturday, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.; Wednesday, 10:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. Call 732-706-4100 with questions. FREE parking in the lots adjacent and across the street from the Middletown Arts Center.