What Your Gift Can Support
The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center presents work that is transformational. We provide myriad opportunities for engagement beyond performances, allowing for deeper connection and understanding among students, faculty, artists and community. As a partner in these endeavors, donors play an active role in enabling our students, faculty and artists to transform lives through the performing arts. Here's what you can do:
- Invest in Artist Residencies
- Commission New Work
- Sponsor a Performance
- Support Scholarships
- Support Faculty Fellowships
- Contribute to the Piano Fund
- Create Your Own Legacy
Artist Residencies
In our approach to programming, we are committed to deepening relationships between visiting artists, campus, and our local community through extended artist residencies, which may span several weeks or a whole semester, and may involve multiple visits over multiple seasons or a full year living in the community. Each of our visiting artists provides opportunities for engagement far beyond performances through events such as workshops, pre- and post-show discussions, master classes, web blogs, community engagement initiatives and open rehearsals.
Commissioned Work
One of the purposes of a great university is to contribute to the store of human knowledge. By commissioning new work, we make that contribution. Our primary interest in supporting new work lies in illuminating the creative process for our communities. This requires ongoing two-way communication between the Center and the artist, which we use to find ways to bring the public into the process. Artists with whom we partner share our desire to increase engagement between the public and artists, so commissioning creates a foundation for extended residencies and learning opportunities.
The Making of Shadowboxer: An Opera Based on the Life of Joe Louis
Sponsored Performances
Anthony de Mare’s performance is made possible, in part, by the Patricia C. Solomon Fund for Piano.
When you sponsor a performance, you'll enjoy specially tailored opportunities to connect with artists and go deeper into the artistic process. Sponsorship opportunities begin at $10,000.
Scholarships
“Donors who give to the UM School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies allow our passion for theatre arts to materialize on stage. The generous scholarships I received will help me to take classes this summer so that I can fulfill course credits for my double major in Theatre and Government and Politics. By taking summer classes, I will be ready in the fall to actively participate in the 2010–2011 theatre season without the stress of taking on too many classes. This scholarship enables me to continue to stay focused on shaping my craft and help me achieve my educational goals. Thank you!”
–Kiara Tinch,
Theatre Performance, Class of 2012
Mulitz-Gudelsky Family Scholarship in Theatre
Learning is central to changing the way people live in the world. Students at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center have the profound advantage of learning in a world-class facility, engaging with faculty and artists who are transforming the way we think, accessing information from a high-quality performing arts library, and participating in cross-disciplinary collaborations. Scholarships are a top priority and providing opportunities for the best and brightest performing arts students to earn a Maryland education strengthens not only the institution, but greater society as well. Your support helps ensure that we have significant financial aid to make our academic units more competitive with the top performing arts programs in the country—and to offer opportunities that transform students lives.
See how your support impacts the lives of our students:
Junior Kiara Tinch, a 2010 recipient of the Mulitz-Gudelsky Family Scholarship in Theatre, is a double major studying theatre and government. She recently spoke with us about her background, her goals and her work.
Until she entered college, Kiara Tinch always thought of theatre as a hobby. In high school, she was active in both theatre and student government and she chose to enroll at the University of Maryland because of its international studies program.
But then... “The hobby took over,” she says. “I always explain that theatre is my passion and government is my interest, so I came in as a government major but couldn’t let go of theatre.”
She added a theatre major that fall and took her first theatre classes in spring 2009, quickly becoming involved in department activities. Her first production assignment was working as a spotlight operator for The Winter’s Tale during spring semester and she became an active participant in the Undergraduate Theatre Artists’ Society (UTAS). In the 2009–2010 season she landed roles in two productions, Anna in the Tropics and The Bluest Eye.
Kiara’s commitment to her theatre work and to her coursework in government keeps her extremely busy, so receiving the Mulitz-Gudelsky Family Scholarship in Theatre has provided a little wind beneath her wings. It has also deepened her appreciation for what donors contribute to the Center. Kiara also works as a student assistant for the Clarice Smith Center’s Development Department, which gives her a chance to learn and appreciate some of the daily operations of the Center.
“We’re able to do what we do in this facility because of the support, the interest and the time our donors give to the Center year after year. It’s truly priceless to be on the receiving end of that,” she says.
She feels very lucky to be where she is, doing what she’s doing.
“Every day I walk through the Center and think how wonderful it is to have everything here; theatre, dance and music. And to have a nurturing environment to grow as a young artist.”
Thembi Duncan: Finish What You Started
Lindsay Walters: Building a Life Around Music
Support for Faculty
It is vital that we have the resources to attract accomplished and gifted faculty—artists and scholars who are at the vanguard of their disciplines and who bring new perspectives and ideas to the curriculum. Having endowed faculty chairs will enable us to attract nationally recognized leaders in the performing arts who will take our students to new levels of greatness.
Piano Fund
In every field, there are essential tools that make us stronger. In the performing arts, the piano is such a tool, providing rhythm and music for dance, live accompaniment for musical theater and all the sounds of the orchestra in a single instrument. We were fortunate to be able to purchase a large number of new pianos when the center opened. A piano endowment allows us to maintain these great instruments and purchase new ones to support teaching and enhance performance. What could be more fitting for the home of the International Piano Archives at Maryland, the William Kapell International Piano Competition and Festival, and our talented students and faculty?
Create Your Own Legacy
The Center is nationally recognized for distinctive programming and artistic quality. Endowment gifts secure the future of our work by providing a permanent and steady source of income for performances, artists residencies, new works, and unparalleled growth opportunities for students. There are many opportunities to support established endowed funds at the Center and in our performing arts academic units, including naming a seat or naming a room.
There are also opportunities to create your own legacy to transform lives through the arts. Your gift of $25,000 or more will establish a separate endowed fund.
Please contact Ed Lewis to make your gift today and change the way we interact with the world.
