Out-of-the-blue phone call has led to $1 million for Mary Baldwin's arts programs since 2017
STAUNTON — An unexpected phone call in 2016 has led to more than $1 million in grant money for Mary Baldwin University's music and performing arts programs over the last seven years.
The latest funding is $150,000 that will provide upgrades to Mary Baldwin's James D. Francis Auditorium. The grant from the Rea Charitable Trust will go toward state-of-the-art stage lighting, live-streaming equipment and a studio recording system, in addition to other items, a press release said.
It is the seventh grant the Texas-based trust has awarded to support MBU arts programming since 2017.
“This latest grant continues the generous legacy of Isabel McClintic Rea, a music major who graduated from Mary Baldwin in 1939,” MBU President Pamela Fox said in the release. “These gifts have funded critical projects and dramatically improved learning experiences for our music and performing arts majors. We are enormously grateful for this funding, as the arts have been central to our institution since its founding.”
MBU’s relationship with the Rea Trust began with that phone call in 2016. A trust executor “called out-of-the-blue saying they had some extra funds to disperse and encouraged us to apply [for a grant],” said music department chair and professor, Lise Keiter.
Though the trust was established in 2009 with a mission of “promoting the arts and perpetuating Mrs. Rea’s love [thereof],” it had yet to work with Mary Balwin, the release said. Keiter reached out to current Gold College of Arts and Sciences dean and vice president, Paul Menzer, and the two quickly got to work on an application.
Not only was their proposal accepted, they were encouraged to apply for an additional grant each year — and every application to date has been funded.
“Students working in theatre, art, music, and dance have profoundly profited from transformations the trust’s generosity have made possible,” Menzer wrote in his and Keiter’s latest Rea proposal.
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Past donations helped upgrade heating and cooling systems, and renovate classrooms, art studios, lobbies, and the theatre of Bertie Murphy Deming Fine Arts Center. They also bought new Steinway pianos and repaired existing ones for the music department.
Menzer says the latest round of funding will primarily focus on improvements for Francis Auditorium, which will soon boast a state-of-the-art LED stage lighting system with modern, user-friendly controls. The system will be augmented by professional quality audio and video equipment — including a 4k projector, speakers, cameras, and microphones, according to the release. Combined, the improvements will equip the auditorium with top-of-line live streaming capabilities for events.
The remaining grant money will bolster offerings in the music and film departments. The music lab will get new electronic keyboards and studio-grade recording equipment. The film lab will benefit from new cameras, lights, microphones, post-production computers, and monitors.
Menzer wrote in the proposal that the school's focus turns to students exploring creative expression in new media, writing that Mary Baldwin wants to open new doors of possibility for young pioneers in both digital and traditional filmmaking, as well as sound and recording expression.”
The new equipment is in the process of being acquired, and installation is expected to be completed by December 2023.
“The arts have long held a place of prominence at Mary Baldwin,” Menzer said. “And we aim to continue to offer arts programs of superior quality by keeping our facilities and equipment up-to-date, by expanding the range of creative expression available to students, and enhancing access to events offerings through enhanced in-person experiences and high-quality online streaming.”
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— Patrick Hite is The News Leader's education reporter. Story ideas and tips always welcome. Contact Patrick (he/him/his) at phite@newsleader.com and follow him on Twitter @Patrick_Hite. Subscribe to us at newsleader.com.
This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Mary Baldwin University's Francis Auditorium to see upgrades from grant
