by Esha Jain | Feb 9, 2021 | General, Lifestyle, News, The Arts
Seattle, WA. In celebration of World Tutu Day and #TutuTuesday, Pacific Northwest Ballet launched a new fundraising effort for its Second Stage Program. The program supports PNB dancers looking to advance to the next stage of their lives. It’s multi-faceted and provides scholarships, mentorship programs, and support for a career transition. Providing financial support to dancers allows them to take college courses, access counseling, and career services, and receive grants for education and start-up expenses.
The lack of performance opportunities because of the COVID-19 pandemic has created an increased need to help bridge economic gaps and support dancer’s post-dance careers. This year World Tutu Day fell on Tuesday, February 2nd, so it was a great opportunity to launch an effort supporting young dancers, gearing up to advance their education and career opportunities.
Leta Biasucci is just one of many dancers who have benefited from this program. She articulates how much it has impacted her life: “While the notion is changing, there are often too many barriers of entry for a dancer to pursue higher education and explore other passions. Time, accessibility, and of course, expense are all hurdles. Dancers are exceptional in reaching personal goals through cultivated grit, dedication, and determination; but before anyone can aim for a goal, one must feel like that goal is attainable. That is why there is a real need for programs like Second Stage.”
Leta Biasucci in The Sleeping Beauty. Photo courtesy of PNB and Angela Sterling.
Funds from benefactors make it possible for PNB dancers to become college graduates, lawyers, small business owners, therapists, and more. Donate here.
From the Pacific Northwest Ballet:
Second Stage is a multi-faceted career transition program for PNB dancers to achieve their post-Company goals. Since 1999, Second Stage has provided more than $750,000 in grants to dozens of dancers. Our former colleagues are now working in law, medicine, dance education, culinary arts, dancewear design and manufacturing, aesthetics, and photography—as well as creating and managing companies world-wide. The program offers scholarships, mentorships, support for research, and a unique partnership with Seattle University. You may donate at this link: Second Stage Program.
by Alexa Sinclair | Oct 30, 2020 | General, News, The Arts
Seattle, WA. Nine leading Seattle arts organizations have received welcome news at a critical time. On October 20th, 2020 the Friday Foundation announced philanthropic gifts totaling more than $9 million to honor the lives and legacies of late art enthusiasts Jane Lang Davis and Richard E. Lang (pictured above).
“These gifts are a shining example of what community support for art and art institutions looks like, and it reflects and furthers the incredible legacy of the Langs,” said Amada Cruz, director and CEO of the Seattle Art Museum. “The gift to our Closure Relief Fund was the single largest gift to that fund, and it arrived at a crucial moment in April as we faced the crisis directly, enabling us to support all museum operations.”
Aaron Fowler’s “Into Existence” exhibit, Seattle Art Museum.
The Langs believed in the power of the arts to embrace new ideas, foster quiet reflection, and promote community. The gifts are intended to inspire others to discover and engage with Seattle’s many cultural communities and opportunities in the visual and performing arts and find lifelong engagements as the Langs did themselves. Whether it is attending a concert or performance, volunteering with an organization, or discovering art, the hope is to remind the Seattle community that there are so many places and organizations for people of all ages to find inspiration.
With lights dimmed in most theaters and museums this year due to COVID-19, these gifts enable five major Seattle arts organizations – Seattle Art Museum, Seattle Symphony, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Seattle Opera, and the Henry Art Gallery at the University of Washington – to acquire or present new works for audiences to enjoy from home or in person when it is safe to do so.
“My mother and stepfather were dedicated to the arts, to Seattle, to the stability of these critical civic gems, and to the inherent promotion of human connection,” said Lyn Grinstein, daughter of Jane Lang Davis and president of the Friday Foundation. “Through the Friday Foundation, these gifts will help fulfill these wishes, by funding new activities and initiatives, as well as provide stability through financial assistance to operations hard hit by the pandemic shutdown.”
The Langs, who lived in Medina, are best known for their internationally recognized art collection with a focus on Abstract Expressionism. Richard joined the Seattle Art Museum board in 1972 and served until his death in 1982. Jane, who died in 2017, joined the SAM board in 1985 and in 2000 became a lifetime trustee, and served for a time as the chair of the Honorary Trustees. Always true to her devotion to abstraction, emerging artists, and the newest work, Jane was an early and active member of the Contemporary Art Council (CAC), advocating for and supporting Seattle Art Museum’s early initiatives in its contemporary collections and exhibitions. She served on CAC and all its subsequent forms for four decades and was an active participant in all major fundraising campaigns.
To continue the Lang’s legacy, the Friday Foundation is funding The Richard E. Lang and Jane Lang Davis Acquisition Fund for Global Contemporary Art at the Seattle Art Museum with a $2 million gift. Amid the COVID-19 global pandemic, the Friday Foundation also gifted the Seattle Art Museum an additional $2 million in emergency funds to help offset economic losses when the museum closed to visitors in March. Amanda Cruz, SAM’s director and CEO stated that “This endowment will help shape the future of SAM’s collection, as we continue our focus on emerging artists from all over the world. We are extremely grateful for the generosity of the Friday Foundation.”
The Seattle Opera
Christina Scheppelmann, general director of the Seattle Opera, said, “This extraordinary gift from the Friday Foundation allows us to create the Jane Lang Davis Creation Lab, which cultivates the next generation of storytellers in opera. This new multi-year initiative will contribute to the operatic repertoire at large — and bring new stories to our community — by supporting the talents of a diverse group of composers and librettists (ages 18-30). Opera needs new and varied perspectives to thrive into the future—and to complement great works of the past. The impacts of this gift will reverberate in Washington State, and far beyond. We are humbled by this investment in the future of opera.”
“The Langs transformed the arts landscape throughout our region with their stewardship, advocacy, and extraordinary support,” said Sylvia Wolf, John S. Behnke Director of the Henry Art Gallery. “With these gifts, their impact will live on, in perpetuity. The Henry has a long tradition of inviting artists to consider the museum as a laboratory for new ideas. This extraordinary gift will allow us to expand this practice and to deepen our service to artists, audiences, and the field at large. It will also connect our UW community and students of all ages with living artists and their creative processes. We are deeply grateful to the Friday Foundation for establishing the Henry’s first endowed fund specifically geared towards supporting newly commissioned work.”
In addition to the $2 million SAM acquisition fund, the new endowments include $1.5 million to support the development of the Richard E. Lang and Jane Lang Davis Living Music Program at the Seattle Symphony, $1 million for the creation of the Jane Lang Davis New Works Fund at Pacific Northwest Ballet, $1 million to support the launch of the Jane Lang Davis Creation Lab at the Seattle Opera, and $1 million to support the creation of the Richard E. Lang and Jane Lang Davis New Works Fund at the Henry Art Gallery.
The Seattle Symphony
“The Seattle Symphony is honored to receive this grant from the Friday Foundation recognizing the legacy of Richard and Jane,” said Seattle Symphony president and CEO Krishna Thiagarajan. “The Symphony is known for its imaginative programming, from our [untitled] series to our just-launched The Essential Series. The Richard E. Lang and Jane Lang Davis Living Music Program allows us to expand this transformative work by creating a pathway for sustained success within our bold programming choices, while also giving us the possibility of re-envisioning the concert experience for audiences within and beyond Benaroya Hall.”
Peter Boal, artistic director of Pacific Northwest Ballet, said, “Through the gift of the Friday Foundation, Jane and Richard Lang’s legacy continues by helping the creation of new choreography. Because of this generosity, Pacific Northwest Ballet will be able to fund an original new work every season. When I choose the commission every season, I will recall Jane’s willingness to embrace risk and innovation in order to bring inspired art and dance into our lives.”
In addition to the new works, other Friday Foundation gifts announced today include $270,000 to ArtsFund’s COVID-19 Arts Emergency Relief Fund, and $100,000 each to ACT – A Contemporary Theatre, Seattle Rep, and the Seattle Chamber Music Society.
“The Langs understood the transformational power of the arts – a power we need today more than ever,” said Michael Greer, president and CEO of ArtsFund. “Their vision and legacy, honored by these gifts from the Friday Foundation, will have an immediate impact on arts and culture in our region and will resonate for years to come. These gifts serve as a significant reminder of the impact of philanthropy, and how we can and must all work together to secure the future of cultural organizations that help our community thrive. These generous gifts are inspiring and set a profound example for us all.”
Pablo Schugurensky, adviser to the Friday Foundation, said, “As well as sustaining and strengthening these nine institutions, we hope these gifts spur others to join the arts community, inspired by the examples of Jane Lang Davis and Richard E. Lang and their deep commitment to the arts and their love for Seattle. Whether it is creating art, enjoying a performance, attending exhibitions, or supporting artists and art organizations in their city, we all have an important role to play.” This gift honoring the Langs’ legacy is the first of several. Additional announcements will be made in 2021.
by Madison Huizinga | Sep 23, 2020 | General, News, The Arts
Seattle, WA. TeenTix has adapted its programming to accommodate for COVID-19. (Pictured above are some smiling teens at a TeenTix event before COVID-19.) One of TeenTix’s main offerings is the free TeenTix pass, which enables any teenager to purchase $5 day-of-show tickets to an event with any of TeenTix’s partner organizations in the greater Seattle area. The TeenTix Events Calendar shows all of the upcoming arts events that teens can attend with their TeenTix pass. Currently, the TeenTix Events Calendar contains all virtual events, many of which are free for the public to view. However, if an event requires a registration fee or ticket for viewing, these tickets will be available for $5 for those who have the TeenTix pass.
Through increasing access to local art events, TeenTix’s mission is to “build a bright future for [the Seattle region] by empowering young people to take an active role in shaping their arts community as audience members, critics, influencers, advocates, and patrons.” Despite the unforeseen circumstances COVID-19 brought about, including virtual events on the TeenTix Events Calendar has allowed the nonprofit to “go outside its usual partners,” even reaching as far as Philadelphia. Executive Director Monique Courcy shares that the organization has “thought more about geographical boundaries” and how TeenTix can “go even further with arts organizations” moving forward.
A TeenTix event before the COVID-19 pandemic
TeenTix’s New Guard program has also pivoted in new ways this summer. The New Guard: Teen Arts Leadership Society is a leadership program that allows teens to engage with teen arts audiences and assist with the development of TeenTix programs. The New Guard’s tasks include fundraising, planning teen-centric arts events, engaging in discussions about arts equity and social justice, and building a community of teens who love the arts.
The New Guard participants meeting prior to COVID-19
According to Courcy, “Zoom has been [the New Guard’s] best friend” this summer. Last spring, New Guard participants planned the Teen Arts & Opportunity Fair. More recently, participants produced a summer mentorship program that connected professional artists of color with groups of young artists of color. Members also have the opportunity to produce art for the upcoming Teeny Awards, an award show in which teenagers vote for awards to give to arts partners. This year’s Teeny Awards will be conducted online later this fall.
The TeenTix Press Corps has also transitioned its programming online. The Press Corps program allows teens to explore and practice art criticism and journalism. As a result of COVID-19, Press Corps participants are meeting through Zoom and finding virtual art pieces to review and critique. An essential part of the Press Corps is the TeenTix Newsroom, which consists of a group of teen writers who review events put on by TeenTix Arts Partners and publish their work on the TeenTix blog. The TeenTix Newsroom is led by the Teen Editorial Staff. The 2020-2021 Teen Editorial Staff is pictured below.
The 2020/2021 TeenTix Teen Editorial Staff. The top row from left to right features Mila Borowski, Triona Suiter, and Lily Williamson. The bottom row from left to right features Lucia McLaren, Eleanor Cenname, and Anya Shukla.
A TeenTix Newsroom meeting over Zoom. This year, 37 new writers and 6 new editors are joining the TeenTix Newsroom.
A TeenTix Press Corps workshop prior to the COVID-19 pandemic
This summer, TeenTix also conducted a free Arts as Activism series, in which black artists were invited to discuss their work or the work of other black artists. Courcy shares that this series was meant to “talk about how activism is related to art.” Each event in the Arts as Activism series focused on a different genre of art, including theater, dance, and performance art. Attendees learned about the history of social justice movements and how art is intertwined with both past and present ones.
From TeenTix:
To support TeenTix, people may donate today or provide monthly contributions by joining the TeenTix Honor Society.
TeenTix exists to break down the barriers that prevent teens from accessing art in our community, such as ticket or admission cost, not knowing where to look for events, navigating transportation around the city, and feeling insecure around arts-going if there’s no one in their lives already championing the arts.
TeenTix builds a bright future for our region by empowering young people to take an active role in shaping their arts community as audience members, critics, influencers, advocates, patrons, and leaders.
