Young Audiences could not do the work we do without the support of individual donors and corporate sponsors whose contributions enable us to continue providing programming to schools at less than 50% of the actual program cost.  Aside from our annual giving campaign, Young Audiences’ raises most of these funds through special events like our recent Celebrating the Arts fundraising dinner honoring leaders in arts education advocacy.

This year’s event welcomed special guests from Heritage Academy’s first and second grade classes, who joined Young Audiences artist Vincenzo Tortorici for a special performance of his program, The Wow Show.  Over 200 arts supporters attended Celebrating the Arts 2006, making it the most successful Celebrating ever!

Executive Director Tony Kimbrell presented the Celebrating the Arts School of the Year award to Cook Elementary, an Atlanta City public school whose commitment to the arts set it apart as a true leader in arts education.  Cook ES, under the leadership of Principal LePaul Shelton, uses the arts to enrich and enhance not only school curriculum, but the lives of students, teachers, parents and community members.  In 2005, Cook ES received a grant to participate in Young Audiences’ Share the World program, a 10-session residency allows students to explore and interpret themes of diversity and co-existence, made possible by the Atlanta Office of Cultural Affairs.  The school has also hosted program auditions for potential new Young Audiences artists for the past two years.  In honor of Cook’s dedication to arts-in-education, Young Audiences presented it with not just the School of the Year award, but also a certificate for $500 to be used for an assembly program for the whole school.

Young Audiences Board Member and Coordinator of Art and Drama Education for Fulton County Schools Denise Jennings presented the Celebrating the Arts Teacher of the Year award to Mrs. Equiana Eubanks-Frazier.  Mrs. Frazier, an art teacher at Fulton County’s Conley Hills Elementary School for the past four years, is a strong advocate of an arts-integrated approach to teaching that goes beyond the art classroom.  She is currently working with teachers to develop and team-teach arts-integrated learning units and activities together.  She also offers her fellow teachers after-school professional development sessions about the value of the arts and creative thinking to students.  In order to help Mrs. Frazier continue infusing Conley Hills’ students’ education with the arts, Young Audiences presented her with a grant for $1650 to bring a 5-session arts residency into her school in addition to her Teacher of the Year award.

Long-time Young Audiences Board Member and arts advocate Ada Lee Correll presented the evening’s final award to the Celebrating the Arts Community Leader of the Year.  This year’s honoree, Neil Williams, is a long-time member of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra’s Board of Directors and a Life Trustee of the Woodruff Arts Center.  He has been a driving force in the expansion of the Woodruff into the cultural and educational center it is today.  In his role as Chairman of the Woodruff Board of Trustees, he oversaw the historical merger that brought Young Audiences into the Woodruff family, enabling us to bring the magic of live arts experiences to even more children across Georgia. 

Celebrating the Arts, Young Audiences’ largest annual fundraiser, was made possible by the generous support of presenting sponsors Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. and The Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel as well as additional sponsors, including Acuity Brands; Alston & Bird, LLP; and PrintPack.

If you would like to extend your support to Young Audiences and the children of Georgia, please Donate Now