MAGC: for the Earth, Arts, and Heart

[sidebar]Marin Art & Garden Center
30 Sir Francis Drake Blvd.
Ross, California 94957[/sidebar]

The Marin Art & Garden Center in Ross, California, was founded in 1945 by Caroline Livermore, a visionary, community-minded woman who was passionate about saving the 11-acre site from development and creating a community resource for the arts, gardens, and conservation. Her legacy is a landscape composed of mature specimen trees, eclectic architecture, and monuments to WWII soldiers and local leaders. It is a place that is deeply connected to its history and lovingly used by its local community for celebrations of life events and daily activities.

I first visited MAGC—the Center’s obvious nickname—nearly 10 years ago while working at the Garden Conservancy. At that time, there was an urgent need for help in planning for the future of the Center and rescuing it from financial instability. Thanks to the dedication of the MAGC board and the leadership of two exceptional volunteers, the crisis was resolved and MAGC is once again thriving as a gathering place for the community. Looking ahead, the Marin Art & Garden Center is poised to become a vibrant public garden and a hu...