MICA will strengthen park as community gathering place | Letter

Published 2:00 pm Thursday, May 19, 2016

I love Mercerdale Park — yes I do! I believe the Mercer Island Center for the Arts (MICA) will strengthen our sense of Mercerdale Park as a community gathering place. I love how Mercerdale Park anchors our Sunday Farmers Market, our Summer Music in the Park, our Summer Celebration and our Mercer Island Thrift Shop. I believe MICA will further cement the idea of Mercerdale Park being the center of Mercer Island’s soul. MICA will be a creative partner to help define us as a small city, not only for our youth but also for all ages to enjoy.

Think about some of the anchor tenants in MICA and how they contribute to our community. Although none of my kids participated in Youth Theatre Northwest (YTN), their friends did. We went to many shows. Another really cool thing about YTN? Kids of all ages and different schools gather together there. It’s a great place for kids to find their tribe. How exciting that this dynamic organization can remain part of our community.

Do you know about Connie Wible and Musical Minds, another anchor tenant? She has participated in national conferences about teaching music to kids on the autism spectrum. MICA could be a place for our exceptional children to also feel a part of the community. Did you know that Musical Minds is also about Music as Wellness? Connie uses music to help people with Parkinson’s, dementia and even helps those recovering from a physical injury. I have heard that some people feel that MICA is elitist. MICA’s purpose seems open to all sorts of people and abilities to me.

I love Mercerdale Park! And adding MICA means I will love Mercerdale Park even more.

Darcie Guyer

Mercer Island