Ovation Newsletter | Fall 2020

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FALL 2020 IN THIS ISSUE

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Corporate Partner FAQ A Personal Gift New Programming Growth

Commitment to Mission Through Innovative Delivery If you’re reading this issue of Ovation, you already know personally the value of the arts, whether it’s the joy and entertainment of attending a live performance, the understanding that the arts are a vital component of a balanced education, or the strategic role the arts play in economic development.

The mission of the Center for the Performing Arts is to engage and inspire the Central Indiana community through enriching arts experiences.

today’s public health concerns.

In spite of the global health crisis, the Center’s mission statement remains true today, as it did yesterday and will tomorrow. To ensure access to the arts, the Center has pivoted to offer many of its programs online and continues to embrace an innovative spirit to meet the needs of those we serve.

foundations, the Center is positioned to meet your arts and culture needs amid this current climate. Perhaps more than ever, the arts matter, and it is our honor to provide them to you and this community. After all, the arts are rife with creativity, innovation and the particular ability to negotiate difficult times.

As you will read later in this newsletter, a wide range of virtual and smallergroup programs are taking place this fall to serve you, your family and friends. Whether you choose to consume the arts in person or through one of the digital programs, it is our goal to ensure the arts continue to play a prominent role in your life. I encourage you to visit TheCenterPresents.org and avail yourself of the entertaining and enlightening programming in the upcoming autumn season.

Michael Pettry

In the midst of a pandemic affecting the world and our individual lives right here in Central Indiana, the arts still have a pivotal role to play.

The Center’s commitment to engage and inspire the community through enriching arts experiences remains Thanks to the generosity of committed the same. The only change is the way individual donors, steadfast corporate the Center delivers its mission amid partners, and community-minded

Vice President of Development

Corporate Partner FAQ

Asked & Answered with Braden Hurley Often, I am asked why a company would choose to partner with the Center. There are many benefits, but below are the most common.

Your business: Companies, regardless of size or industry, can greatly benefit from a partnership with the Center due to the goodwill associated with our brand and the demographic makeup of campus visitors.

Partnerships can be performance-focused, concentrated on engaging content, or extended into evergreen branding opportunities in the form of naming a portion of the Center. Whether it is increasing brand awareness, B2B networking, utilizing the Palladium for a company event or showcasing your products to Center patrons, our completely customizable partnerships can help you achieve your business objectives.

Your community: Unlike partnering with most for-profit organizations, partnering with the Center truly makes a positive and long-lasting community impact. Partnerships allow the Center to continue to inspire and engage Central Indiana through enriching arts experiences.

This includes but is not limited to funding low or no-cost education programs accessible by all, providing competitively priced performance tickets and maintaining world-class community venues.

Also, the recruiting and retention of socially conscious generations is enhanced when support of a community asset is highlighted. Partnering with the Center is a perfect way to become firmly ingrained in the Central Indiana community.

Your employees: Leaning on our experience during collaborative and creative brainstorming sessions, a partnership with the Center can both benefit the bottom line and employees at all levels of your organization.

The most successful Center partnerships focus not only externally but also internally, because doing so maximizes the investment and enhances organizational buy-in. Discounted tickets, behind-thescenes tours and service opportunities are just a few ways in which our current partners engage their most valuable resource. Center partnerships will engage your employees from the C-suite, entry-level and everything in between.

To learn more about partnership opportunities at the Center, please contact Director of Partnership Development Braden Hurley at BHurley@TheCenterPresents.org or 317.819.3519.

Braden Hurley

Director of Partnership Development

Legacy Society: Building a Secure Future for the Center

A Personal Gift Individual donors play a vital role in the overall success of the Center for the Performing Arts. Since the doors opened in 2011, bequests from loyal supporters have provided a solid future for the organization. Over those years and for decades to come, the Center makes artistic expression and arts exposure accessible and meaningful to thousands across Central Indiana. As the Center begins its second decade, we are pleased to announce the formalization of the Center’s Legacy Society. The Legacy Society recognizes individuals who have taken the step to support the Center through a planned gift, providing a stable source of income to impact lives for generations to come.

What is a planned gift? A planned gift generally refers to philanthropic giving to occur after a person has passed away. Sometimes in the form of a bequest from a will or estate plans, planned gifts may also be in the form of life insurance beneficiary, property, equities and other assets.

Jeff McDermott, President/CEO of the Center for the Performing Arts and the Great American Songbook Foundation, is pleased to be among the first members of the Legacy Society.

“For most of my life, watching and playing sports was my entertainment of choice,” he says. “However, in 2010 I was given the opportunity to serve as a member of the Board of Directors for the Center for the Performing Arts. I had no idea how impactful my decision to accept that position would be. I knew the Center would be a great thing for our community, but I never could have imagined how much I would enjoy being a part of it. Now, as the President and CEO, I’ve had the opportunity to experience art, particularly music, in ways I only wish I had when I was younger. My hope is that my long-term gift will help put the Center in a position to similarly change the lives of others for years to come.”

Gala committee members and corporate partners through Salon 01. During his two consecutive terms on the Center’s Board of Directors and as chairman of the Development Committee, David was vocal about the importance of the Center’s long-term health. On making their personal commitment as members of the Legacy Society, David and Micki say: “We are committed to encouraging social and demographic diversity at the Center, and in its programming, and we want to ensure that the Center offers opportunities to young people throughout our Midwestern sphere of influence and beyond.

That is why we are pleased to join the Legacy Society and will be designating this gift toward youth education.”

Making a planned gift is a meaningful way to show your support for the Center for the Performing Arts while achieving your own philanthropic, estateplanning and financial goals. Through a charitable bequest in your will or living trust, you can ensure the Center will continue providing experiences that enrich and transform lives. This thoughtful act, which has little or no current financial impact on you, may result in the largest and most lasting one-time gift you ever make to the Center. And as David and Micki said: “We earnestly hope that our commitment will serve as inspiration to you and others to also consider making an impact, a lasting legacy, through a planned gift of your own.”

To learn more about planned giving at the Center, contact Kendra M. Latta, Director of Individual Development at KLatta@TheCenterPresents.org or 317.819.3528.

Kendra M. Latta

David and Micki Stirsman have been actively involved with the Center since the earliest days as ticket buyers,

Director of Individual Development

KAR Front Seat with actor Don Farrell on May 6, 2020

Individual Support Drives Programming Growth It’s easy to forget that just over six months ago, we had no qualms about joining multitudes of fans reveling in an evening of music. The Palladium, the Tarkington, and the Studio Theater were filled, week after week, with audiences excited to experience the magic of live performance.

The Center can’t host those big crowds right now, but our work hasn’t stopped…it has evolved.

Thanks in large part to donor support, the Center continues to inspire the community with dynamic and engaging arts experiences – whether on-site with smaller audiences or online to be enjoyed anywhere. With digital offerings ranging from transformational educational experiences like the KAR Front Seat program for high school and college students, to deeper dives into music with the Classics in Context and JazzTalk programs, ever-expanding audiences are connecting to the arts in a brand-new way. In this moment when community and connection are even more vital to our collective well-being, these arts opportunities have an even greater impact.

At the heart of this impact is a strong community of donors, passionate about the transformational power of the arts. As the Center continues to

expand these opportunities, it is essential – now more than ever – to be able to count on the philanthropic support of many. Like the beat of a drum, sustained giving from donors is the rhythmic pulse of the Center, allowing the arts to flourish in Central Indiana.

When you become a monthly donor to the Center, you strengthen this pulse, ensuring the community will thrive for years to come. By making an initial pledge to be paid monthly over the successive year, your generosity drives programming growth this community needs. It’s easy to pledge your monthly gift at TheCenterPresents.org/Donate.

With as little as $10 a month, you will provide meaningful connection through music.

Contact Robin Briskey, Annual Fund & Corporate Relations Manager, at RBriskey@TheCenterPresents.org or 317.819.9533 for more information on how you can impact the arts with a monthly gift to the Center.

Robin Briskey Annual Fund & Corporate Relations Manager

Serving the Central Indiana community is at the heart of the Center’s mission. As with all meaningful ventures, we can’t embark on this mission alone! The many partners who support the Center are vital to sustaining the enriching arts experiences offered to the community. Among the Center’s longest-serving supporters is Printing Partners, a local business whose name embodies their emphasis on collaboration. As we celebrate a decade of partnership with Printing Partners, we had a conversation with owners Mary and Joel O’Brien to learn how they are adjusting business operations to meet the needs of the community in an era of many challenges.

In a nutshell, what does Printing Partners do?

Printing Partners combines technological innovation with traditional craftsmanship to produce effective marketing communications for our partners. In an increasingly digital world that – for a time – seemed a threat to the printing industry, we have found that print still continues to be a vital and powerful tool for anyone looking to communicate effectively.

SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT

What types of businesses does Printing Partners serve?

We’ve forged strong partnerships in almost every business segment, from here in Central Indiana to clients overseas. As the global economy evolves, we too have increased our capability and reach to serve just about any type client regardless of their location.

We also pride ourselves as a responsible and proud Central Indiana corporate citizen. In 2019 we were able to provide almost $350,000 in sponsorships and in-kind support to our nonprofit partners. We work with a wide variety of groups, ranging from arts organizations like the Center for the Performing Arts to social service organizations such as Wheeler Mission, Gleaners, Goodwill, Catholic Charities and St. Vincent de Paul.

How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected Printing Partners?

Like many small businesses, we have been directly affected by the pandemic. We lost 20% of our printing business due to the cancellations of concerts and plays in the arts. We lost another 20% of printing business with companies due to the stay-at-home order from the state of Indiana.

Many companies at this time had to and continue to cancel events and move from print to virtual communications.

However, many services have continued to be in demand, like direct mail, book publishing, and printing for the pharmaceutical and medical industries. We have also had a large increase in our printing for the puzzles and games industry! As the market demand for printed materials evolves, so will we.

How can the arts support the Central Indiana community during this time?

As Billy Joel states, “I think music in itself is healing.

It’s an explosive expression of humanity. It’s something we are all touched by. No matter what culture we’re from, everyone loves music.” Art, in any form, is a way to reach out to everyone at all ages in a community. In a time where we can’t reach out to shake hands or hug one another, the arts can reach out and touch us all.

How to Give to the Center Philanthropy comes in many forms. Consider the best way to maximize your charitable giving to the Center.

CASH GIFTS

To make an immediate impact, write a check or make a gift online at TheCenterPresents.org/Donate.

MATCHING GIFTS

Utilize matching gift programs offered by your employer to multiply your gift.

IRA DISTRIBUTION

Individuals age 72 or older can direct all or part of their IRA-required minimum distribution to nonprofit organizations without income tax penalties.

GIFTS OF STOCK

Transfer appreciated stock and avoid capital gains tax.

LEGACY GIVING

Join the Legacy Society to make an impact for future generations by including a gift to the Center in your estate plan.

The Development staff is on call to answer your giving questions and take care of the details for you.

Contact Kendra M. Latta, Director of Individual Development, KLatta@TheCenterPresents.org or 317.819.3528.

Don’t miss upcoming events this fall, including: JazzTalk: The Genius of Charlie Parker, Classics in Context: Beethoven and the Bass Connection, and KAR Front Seat with jazz musician Todd Williams.

The Center's Board of Directors welcomed five new members in summer 2020: Ann Dee, John Gallina, Shane Hageman, Nick Hrisomalos and Jimmy Rayford.

The mission of the Center for the Performing Arts is to engage and inspire the Central Indiana community through enriching arts experiences.

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