Van Wezel Foundation Receives $5,000 Grant for Arts Education Program

The Van Wezel Foundation received a grant from the Gene and Bonnie Hull Fund, Weichel Family Fund and Manatee Community Foundation Unrestricted Fund, to provide transportation for over 1,500 Manatee County schoolchildren to attend Schooltime Performances at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall during the 2010-2011 season. The beneficiaries of the grant will be Title I schools where a large percentage of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunches.

This year, nearly 700 students from Oneco, Ballard, Rogers Garden, Bayshore, Moody and Prine Elementary Schools enjoyed performances like “Frindle” and “The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales” thanks to these grants through the Manatee Community Foundation and other earlier grants from the Knight Donor Advised Funds. Performances like these are carefully selected to correspond with the Sunshine State and Manatee County curriculum. Teacher and student materials are provided in advance of the school time performances at the Van Wezel.

“It is through the collaborative efforts and our strong partnership with the Manatee Community Foundation and the Manatee County School Board that we are able to increase the involvement of student participation in the Van Wezel’s innovative Arts Education Programs,” said Norman Olshansky, President and CEO of the Van Wezel Foundation.

The Manatee Community Foundation presents the Van Wezel Foundation a check for arts education in Manatee County Schools. Pictured from left to right Norman Olshansky, President and CEO, Van Wezel Foundation, Cassandra Holmes, Director of Development, Manatee Community Foundation and Susan Lagg-May, Chief Operating Officer, Van Wezel Foundation.