ArtsBridge Foundation Gala to be Held on September 18 to Support Arts Education for Georgia Youth
Local High School Students to Perform at Gala and with Broadway Star Kristin Chenoweth
ATLANTA – (August 25, 2015) – ArtsBridge Foundation will hold a Gala on Friday, September 18 at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre to raise money to support arts education programs for Georgia students in grades K-12. The Gala will feature performances by fifth grade students from the Woodland Elementary School Percussion Ensemble; by the Flat Rock Middle School 7th Grade Show Chorus; and by eight high school performers who participated in the 2015 Georgia High School Musical Theatre Awards – Shuler Hensley Awards.
A performance by Tony and Emmy Award Winning Broadway sensation Kristin Chenoweth will immediately follow the Gala. Eight students from Orbit Performing Arts Academy and the eight Shuler Hensley Award nominees will perform on stage with Ms. Chenoweth during her show. The Shuler Awards students are: Delaney Circe of Buford High School, Brody Grant of North Forsyth High School, Hayden Kerzie of Milton High School, Kelsey Lorenzoni of Cartersville High School, Mary Caroline Owens of Milton High School, L’Oreal Roache of Pope High School, Jeremiah Robinson of Cartersville High School, and Connor Wood of Forsyth Central High School. These students and other Shuler participants, along with students from Orbit Arts Academy, will attend Kristin Chenoweth’s sound check.
“ArtsBridge Foundation gives Georgia students opportunities to experience the arts through -Field Trip programs, Master Classes, and the annual Georgia High School Musical Theatre Awards – Shuler Hensley Awards,” said Joanne Truffelman, co-chair of the 2015 ArtsBridge Foundation Gala. “Valery Voyles and I are honored to co-chair this year’s Gala and know that our work, along with the contributions of generous sponsors, attendees and supporters, will make a positive impact in the lives of thousands of young people.”
The Gala will feature a “bid-to-give” auction where attendees will be able to support ArtsBridge’s Adopt-A-School program that provides ticket and bus subsidies for students and educators to attend performances during the 2015-16 field trip season.
“It’s a privilege to serve as the Honorary Chair of the 2015 ArtsBridge Foundation Gala, and to help raise funds to provide arts education opportunities for Georgia’s K-12 students,” said Michael Taormina, CFE, managing director, Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. “This Gala has a special meaning to me as it will take place a few months before I retire from the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. I have been fortunate to have a rewarding career in venue management and the performing arts, and firmly believe that the work of ArtsBridge Foundation is building a new generation of artists and arts supporters.”
During the 2014-15 field trip season 172 schools representing 30 Georgia counties attended ArtsBridge field trip performances. The program also enables home school students to experience the arts, with more than 1,200 individuals attending this past season. The 2015-16 Field Trip season begins in October and features the following shows: The Atlanta Opera presents “La bohème”; The Lightening Thief; Feet Don’t Fail Me Now; ArcAttack; Elephant and Piggie’s “We Are In A Play!”; The Atlanta Ballet Fellowship Ensemble Presents “The Sleeping Beauty”; Doktor KABOOM’s Live Wire! The Electricity Tour; and Kennesaw State University’s College of the Arts Presents Synergy. For more information about field trips visit http://artsbridgega.org/field-trip/ , for Master Classes visit http://artsbridgega.org/master-class/, and for Adopt-A-School visit http://artsbridgega.org/get-involved/adopt-a-school/.
About ArtsBridge Foundation
ArtsBridge Foundation, formerly the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre Foundation, is dedicated to providing quality arts education and community engagement programs that engage, motivate, inspire, and elevate the next generation of artists and arts supporters. ArtsBridge forms connections with students in grades K-12 by providing arts education opportunities through field trip programs to the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, master class workshops, artists-in-schools, and the annual Georgia High School Musical Theatre Awards – Shuler Hensley Awards. Since our inception in 2007, ArtsBridge has served more than 280,000 students and educators from 30 Georgia counties, plus students from Alabama, Tennessee, Florida and South Carolina. To learn more, visit http://artsbridgega.org and follow us on Twitter at @ArtsbridgeGA and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ArtsBridgeGa.
Contacts: Becky Erwin, On behalf of ArtsBridge Foundation
404-293-7263 | becky.erwin@gmail.com
Natalie Barrow, ArtsBridge Foundation
770-916-2808 | nbarrow@cobbenergycentre.com
