I
am pleased to share that Virginia Wesleyan University has received a
$250,000 challenge grant from the Mary Morton Parsons Foundation for
updates and the purchase of new Steinway pianos for our existing Fine
Arts Building. The University will have one year to raise the matching
funds for the grant, which will allow for updated and modernized
finishes, new windows, upgraded HVAC systems, and improved lighting.
Updating
the existing Fine Arts Building is a top priority identified in the
University's 10-year Campus Master Plan. The Susan S. Goode Fine and
Performing Arts Center (scheduled for completion in March 2019) will
provide a state-of-the-art performance space for our theater, choral and
music programs, and our existing Fine Arts Building will continue to
serve as home to painting, ceramics, photography, and sculpture studios,
as well as practice and rehearsal space for our choral and instrumental
programs. With the upgrades made possible by this grant, the Fine Arts
Building will have the appropriate climate controls required for
Steinway pianos. It is our goal to then replace the building’s existing
pianos with new Steinway and Boston (Steinway-designed) pianos.
We
aspire to eventually achieve “All-Steinway Status” as an institution.
An American company founded in 1863,
Steinway
is considered the world’s finest piano manufacturer. “All-Steinway
Status” represents commitment to high-quality music making by ensuring
that 90 percent of the pianos are Steinway or Steinway-designed pianos,
and that pianos in all performance and studio spaces are Steinway
concert pianos. Presently, only six higher education institutions in
Virginia, and 175 nationally, have achieved this designation.
I
am excited to share this demonstration of continued enthusiasm for
Virginia Wesleyan’s theatre, art and music programs, and pleased that
generous support has continued for these important projects. If you are
interested in helping the University match
this challenge from the Mary Morton Parsons Foundation, please contact
Virginia Wesleyan’s Center for Advancement at 757.455.3217.
