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THE VAN WEZEL FOUNDATION SEEKS THE COMMUNITY’S ENGAGEMENT FOR THE NEW SARASOTA PERFORMING ARTS CENTER A Place for Ideas, A Place for the Arts, A Place for You Contact Name: Meredith Dropkin Contact Email: mdropkin@grapeinc.com Contact Phone Number: 941-351-0024 Sarasota, Florida – December 4, 2019 – Engagement in the arts is essential to the vitality of a community. With this belief at its core, the Van Wezel Foundation will be launching a community engagement initiative to seek input and participation from the public in the planning for a new Sarasota Performing Arts Center as a central part of the Bayfront master plan implementation. “Sarasota is known as the cultural coast and we believe that part of our responsibility is to continue to make it thrive,” said Van Wezel Foundation CEO Cheryl Mendelson. “This is an incredible opportunity for the community to invest in creating a legacy for the next generation.” After six years of planning and collaboration with civic and public partners, the city of Sarasota approved the master plan on September 6, 2018 to transform the bayfront into a civic gem for Sarasota and the Gulf Coast. Since then, the Van Wezel Foundation has been working with theater consultant AMS and the master plan design firm Sasaki Associates of Boston on building and site studies and ongoing project analysis. Among the Foundation’s key program priorities is to expand arts education opportunities and lifelong learning, as well as serving the community with programming 12 months of the year. The next step is ensuring that the community is part of the planning process. Through the generosity of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, the Van Wezel was awarded a $50,000 grant to support community engagement initiatives throughout the Suncoast. Throughout the year, the Van Wezel Foundation will host a series of workshops with the theme the “Stage is Yours” to enable members of the community to share their ideas and attitudes for programming, patron experiences and aspirations for a world-class performing arts center. The Foundation is also conducting a survey, in partnership with more than 200 community-based organizations throughout the Suncoast, to make certain that broad and diverse feedback is received. “We are excited to engage the community in a meaningful way to realize this vision,” Mendelson said. “Together, we will ensure that the new Sarasota Performing Arts Center will be a place for ideas, a place for the arts, a place for you.” ABOUT THE VAN WEZEL FOUNDATION Since 1987, The Van Wezel Foundation has partnered with the City of Sarasota to foster a connection between the people, the bay and the spirit of human creativity. Through this collaboration and the generosity of donors, the Foundation has provided grants of more than $14 million to invest in arts education and capital projects at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall. The mission of the Van Wezel Foundation is to create a world-class performing arts center that enriches the community, supports arts education and inspires young minds. For more information, visit vwfoundation.org. To learn more about the many ways we can grow our vision for the community together, visit SarasotaPAC.org.