45th Anniversary Commemorative Book November 2015 | Page 22

The Mid-Atlantic Center
for the Arts & Humanities
and the Rebirth of Cape May
1970-2015
by B. Michael Zuckerman, PhD., Director (1982 - )
Cape May’s spectacular rebirth as a Victorian theme
destination has followed a highly unusual course. No wealthy
philanthropist came to its rescue, showering millions of
dollars to transform the town (as did a John D. Rockefeller,
Jr. at Colonial Williamsburg). No government super-agency
stepped in and waved its magic wand (as did a National Park
Service at Philadelphia’s Independence National Park).
Rather, Cape May’s revival has been a classic example of
community “bootstrapping,” involving three major partners.
The first is the City of Cape May, which has provided the
necessary regulatory controls and resort infrastructure.
The second is the Cape May business community, whose
members have poured their life savings and sweat equity
into restoring hundreds of historic buildings. The third is a
cultural not-for-profit organization, the Mid-Atlantic Center
for the Arts and Humanities (MAC).
Since its founding in 1970, MAC has forged alliances with
both other partners to further Cape May’s rebirth. In its early
years, MAC focused largely on the city government, fighting
to shift it towards a pro-preservation stance. With this
struggle won, MAC’s partnership with Cape May’s business
community then rose to the fore. Through its sponsorship of
cultural and heritage tourism, MAC
has become a principal agency for
Cape May’s economic revival. By
aggressively marketing an evergrowing roster of tours and special
events, MAC has helped lure mass
audiences to Cape May on a year
around basis. These visitors, in
turn, provide the solid customer
base that the business community needs to sustain scores
upon scores of preservation success stories.

1970-2015

MAC
years

Celebrating our history...
Enriching your life

MAC’s history to date falls into four distinct phases: the
Pioneer Phase (1970-80), when MAC waged its battle with
City Hall and laid the foundation for its cultural and heritage
tourism miss [ێ