Maplewood Arts Council

The Maplewood Arts Council (MAC) is an advisory committee made up of 11 appointed members. Our mission to improve the quality of life in the Township of Maplewood by helping the arts to flourish. The members of MAC work to further the understanding of and involvement in arts and culture by the citizens of the township by firmly committing themselves to supporting artistic diversity, accessibility, public participation, the involvement of the business community, and fostering the healthy abundance of artistic energy in our community. To learn more about our council and get involved, please email us here.

About Us

Marcy Thompson helped launch the Maplewood Arts Council in 2011, and has been the chair since 2015. She is the co-founder of Studio B, a community-building, local, non-profit dedicated to the artists and audiences of Maplewood/South Orange.

Emily Zacharias is an accomplished actor and singer who also directs and teaches. She produces the Drama-Desk nominated Workshop Theater’s annual unGala event in NY.

Tricia Tunstall is a piano teacher and writer who's lived in Maplewood since 1991, served in numerous capacities including Cultural Affairs Director and Maplewood Arts Council Co-Chair.

Jeremy Dobrish is a theatre director and playwright. He is the SeniorCreative Director at Proscenium Live Events.

Bruno L. Lee,  also known as ‘The Trumpet Man,’ is an Alumnus of Hampton University, Hampton, VA and performs Gospel, Jazz, R&B, Reggae and other genres of music. 

Robyn Crawford spent over two decades in the music industry managing artists, touring globally and producing live shows. She subsequently combined her love of sports and entertainment as Special Projects Editor at ESPN the Magazine. Crawford’s New York Times Best-Selling memoir, A Song for You: My Life with Whitney Houston was released in 2019.

Chris Danuser is an award-winning screenwriter and filmmaker. His production company SparkyBoom will soon release Pap’s Manifesto. His filmmaking partnerships include Academy Award nominee Matthew Marshall, casting director Pat Golden, and Jeremiah Bennett . Chris, his wife and two kids are residents of Maplewood.

Serge Espitia is an audio engineer with over 12 years of experience in media production, analog recording, mixing and mastering for a wide variety of clients and genres. He is the owner of Tiny Thunder Audio, a professional mastering studio located in Maplewood, NJ.