In 2006, Debra and Alan Jenkins decided to pair their financial resources with their efforts as volunteers to strengthen the arts in Madison County. They established a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and donated nearly $2.5 million to purchase and renovate a historic building that was once part of a textile mill village in Huntsville. After a 13-month renovation, Merrimack Hall Performing Arts Center opened its doors to the public in July 2007.
Twelve years later, Merrimack Hall Performing Arts Center stands as the center of activity for hundreds of people with special needs and their families. The focus of Merrimack Hall’s mission is to provide visual and performing arts education to children and adults with special needs, but the heart of Merrimack Hall is the community of lives that have been connected through the arts. The quality of life for people with special needs has been drastically improved by Merrimack Hall, as we work toward bringing the people we serve out of the shadows and into the life of our community.
What began as one small dance class, launched on October 15, 2008, is today a three-pronged program which makes up the Happy Headquarters at Merrimack Hall, which has three distinct components: