MARION — New ArtStart director Margaret Laine and returning dance instructor Teah Keogh will help to keep the Marion Art Center’s programming for 2019 fresh and interesting.

Laine is a lifelong Marion resident.  She has been involved with the MAC from a young age, more recently joining the Theater Committee and volunteering during The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. 

With an expertise in childcare, event management, and performance arts, Laine is ready to take on this new role at the MAC.

Parents of young children ages 4 and a half through 9 who would like to register for ArtStart may do so by phone or in-person beginning Jan. 29 if they are MAC members. Online and non-member registration will begin Feb. 5.

Session one of the summer program will run for five days from June 24 to 28.  Session 2 will be held over four days from July 1 to 5 with no class no class on the Fourth of July. Session 3 will also run for five days from July 8 to 12. And the final session will span five days from July 15 to 19.

Camp runs from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. except for “show day” each Friday, which releases at 1pm.

Tuition for sessions 1, 3 and 4 will be $195 for MAC members and $215 for non-members. The pro-rated tuition for Session 2 will be $155 for MAC members and $175 for non-members.

Parents who would like to check their MAC membership status should call the arts center at (508)748-1266.

As a former Dance Academy instructor, Keoh previously taught ballet, tap, and jazz, contemporary, hip-hop and gymnastics. She moved away from Marion, but has returned to the area and will bring her dance program back.

The spring 2019 Dance Academy program will begin March 18 and continue for 8 weeks.

For more information about the program, visit http://www.marionartcenter.org/classes/mac-dance-academy/

The Marion Art Center Theater Committee has also finalized its shows for 2019. Anton Chekhov’s “The Cherry Orchard” will run from March 15 to 17 and then again from March 21 to 23.

“Be My Baby” by Ken Ludwig will run two consecutive weekends on May 31, June 1 and 2 and June 6 to 9.

Later in the summer, Rob Urbinati’s “Death by Design” will run from August 23 to 25 and also from the 29 through Sept. 1.

The final production of the year, “Miracle on 34th Street” by George Seaton, will run from Dec. 6 to 7 and again from Dec. 13 to 15.

The Marion Art Center’s new hours for winter and spring are Tuesday and Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Thursday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The art center will be closed Sunday and Monday.