The Wallis Arrives: A Case for Support

Alonzo King LINES Ballet, photo coutesy Alonzo King

The Wallis A COMPREHENSIVE CAMPAIGN

Today, The Wallis is a world-class performing arts center where people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities are warmly welcomed. Dually focused on impactful artistic programming and our vital GRoW @ The Wallis arts education initiatives, The Wallis has been serving the Beverly Hills and Greater Los Angeles area since its inaugural 2013/2014 Season through its community-centric mission:

THE WALLIS: A RICH HISTORY, A COMMUNITY-CENTRIC MISSION. The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts campus has been a symbol of civic pride for the City of Beverly Hills and Greater Los Angeles since first opening its doors in 1934 as a local post office arising from Roosevelt’s New Deal.

This spirit of civic engagement, bolstered by the visionary Wallis Annenberg, the Annenberg Foundation, and a group of “Dream Builders” from the community, suffuses the historic landmark building and sprawling 70,000 square foot campus of which we are the proud stewards.

Deeply rooted in our local Beverly Hills community and influenced by cultural change, the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, a publicprivate partnership with the City of Beverly Hills, strives to be a site for the convergence of relevant, dynamic performing arts, education and civic life, strengthening our local and global community in our role as a presenter, producer, educator, and community resource.

2023 marks a historic milestone for The Wallis — the culmination of our first extraordinary decade. We seek your partnership as we launch The Wallis Arrives: A Comprehensive Campaign. This effort will focus on the delivery of four pillars that support our mission:

ARTISTIC EXCELLENCE EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT HISTORIC PRESERVATION FISCAL SUSTAINABILITY Just as the original Capital Campaign that concluded in 2013 galvanized us all with a panoramic vision of what The Wallis could be and set the stage for our first ten extraordinary years, The Wallis Arrives will set a standard of artistic excellence, community connection, and financial sustainability for its next ten years — and beyond.

We invite you to join us as The Wallis ARRIVES .

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PILLAR 1

ARTISTIC Excellence THE NEED The Wallis has been a producer and presenter of awardwinning performing arts since its inaugural 2013/2014 Season.

Sustaining our ability to produce and present innovative, responsive, and challenging art requires committed focus and funding. This will dictate our success in serving our community into the future.

THE VISION The Wallis ARRIVES dedicates vital resources to artistic work. The Wallis will continue to foster a distinct artistic voice.

The Wallis seeks to pursue creative and inspiring art as a regional, national, and international leader in the performing arts.

TOGETHER, WE WILL • Create exceptional work that celebrates, integrates, and reimagines music, dance, theater, and film for patrons of all ages.

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Take inspiration from the building and campus that we occupy to elevate extraordinary work that animates, engages, surprises and enlivens the building, and that takes advantage of the possibilities in the relationship among the building, art, artists, and audiences.

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Serve as a vital artistic platform for emerging and established Los Angeles-based artists whose work speaks to our local community and to the larger world.

this page: Ballet Hispanico, photo by Lawrence K. Ho opposite page, top to bottom: Jennifer Holliday, photo by Lawrence K. Ho; BODYTRAFFIC, photo by Rob Latour ; Anne AkikoMeyers, photo by Lawrence K. Ho Long Day’s Journey into Night, photo by Lawrence K. Ho

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PILLAR 2 EDUCATION, ARTS LEARNING AND Community ENGAGEMENT

this page: Los Angeles area students at The Wallis, photo courtesy The Wallis opposite page, top to bottom: GRoW In-School Residency, Rockdale Visual & Performing Arts Magnet, photo

by Hannah Burnett; GRoW In-School Residency, Rockdale Visual & Performing Arts Magnet, photo by Hannah Burnett; Creative Aging @ The Wallis, photo by Debra Pasquerette; Los Angeles area students at a student matinee of Shanghai Sonatas: A New Musical in Concert, photo by Hannah Burnett

THE NEED GRoW @ The Wallis, an umbrella for the robust mix of education and outreach programs at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, is committed to sharing the arts with learners of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities — and bringing their stories to life. Using the power of the arts, GRoW programs address important social issues and respond to critical needs in the greater community through arts leadership, learning, collaboration, and partnership.

GRoW @ The Wallis features a dedicated education wing on the campus of The Wallis, with three stateof-the-art classrooms and the beautiful outdoor Wells Family Education Courtyard. GRoW @ The Wallis is made possible through a generous gift from Gregory Annenberg Weingarten and Regina Weingarten, and the Annenberg Foundation.

THE VISION

The Wallis seeks to provide world-class arts education initiatives that engage, inspire, and cultivate the creative voices of arts learners of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities.

TOGETHER, WE WILL • Provide meaningful opportunities for people of all ages and abilities to experience, learn, and create through artistic expression and inspire life-long arts participation.

The Wallis ARRIVES

A COMPREHENSIVE CAMPAIGN

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Ensure that the world-class performances and arts education opportunities The Wallis offers are accessible to Los Angeles-area K-12 students through year-round partnerships with public schools.

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Increase community-centric, immersive, and costfree offerings to ignite widespread and sustained participation in our vibrant community.

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Deliver unparalleled access to professional training resources and world-class facilities for arts learners and arts lovers in every stage of their lives.

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PILLAR 3

STEWARDSHIP OF OUR Historic CAMPUS

THE NEED Our physical campus is comprised of the historic 1934 Beverly Hills post office, the adjoining 500-seat Bram Goldsmith Theater, and the sprawling outdoor areas nestled in the center of the iconic Beverly Hills Golden Triangle. The original building has been repurposed as administrative offices, the 150-seat Lovelace Studio Theater, and our GRoW @ The Wallis education wing – which features accessible rehearsal space and multiuse classrooms.

The Wallis’ expansive outdoor space has been a source of creative energy since our very first season — it has offered a remarkably broad slate of unique and site-specific programs.

As a performing arts venue and a community hub, we must remain on the vanguard of welcoming audiences in an everchanging world, without sacrificing our high standards of preservation for our historic landmark space.

THE VISION

The Wallis seeks to engage and enliven the building we occupy, preserve this landmark for future generations, and take advantage of the intimate and imaginative relationships it creates among the building, art, artists, and audiences.

TOGETHER, WE WILL • Provide our exceptional campus with the utmost care by giving special consideration to the significant preservation needs of our 1934 historical building and its architecture.

The Wallis ARRIVES

A COMPREHENSIVE CAMPAIGN

Historic post office view of current Jim and Eleanor Randall Grand Hall at The Wallis, photo courtesy The Wallis Archives

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Maintain excellent facilities standards to sustain The Wallis as an iconic cultural asset of the City of Beverly Hills.

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Continue to remain on the vanguard of best practices in security, safety, accessibility, ADA compliance, and enhanced technology.

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Honor our legacy as a hub for local civic life by establishing and maintaining a fund for future capital improvements.

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Continue to allocate resources thoughtfully, to upgrade technologies for the enhancement of audience and artist experiences.

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PILLAR 4

FISCAL Sustainability

THE NEED The Wallis is as dedicated to financial responsibility as it is to serving as a home for artistic expression.

Non-profit performing arts are vital for a community to thrive, and investment and philanthropic support are necessary to sustain them. The Wallis seeks to grow our organizational endowment and cash reserves to ensure we meet future challenges as opportunities for growth and expansion.

THE VISION Through a thoughtful expansion of resources, The Wallis will cement its future as a cultural pillar of the Beverly Hills community for future generations to enjoy.

TOGETHER, WE WILL • Establish greater financial capacity to invest in the full potential of our mission and long-term viability to advance the arts and arts education.

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Meet and exceed industry standards for endowment and cash reserves to allow for the flexibility, foresight, and resources critical to supporting risk-taking and innovative work, and attracting high-caliber talent across the institution — including artists, board members, executive leadership, and staff.

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Strengthen and amplify core artistic and educational programming by deepening and diversifying our philanthropic base of support.

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Position The Wallis as a pace-setter and leader in the local, national, and international performing arts communities by ensuring its financial stability and flexibility.

Gwen Stefani performs at An Evening with Shelli and Irving Azoff, photo by Tyler Curtis

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We invite you to join us in the ambitious The Wallis ARRIVES $55 million campaign to: FACILITATE an increase in annual support to drive ever-stronger artistic programming.

Maintain and EXPAND access to worldclass arts education and community initiatives.

ENHANCE and preserve the beauty and functionality of The Wallis Campus.

SUPPORT sustainability, expand access, and assure excellence through the strengthening of The Wallis endowment and the establishing of a cash reserve.

The Wallis exterior view with Wells Family Education Courtyard, photo by Roland Halbe

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The Wallis ARRIVES A COMPREHENSIVE CAMPAIGN

$55 Million Goal SEPTEMBER 2021 – AUGUST 2026

Campus Naming Opportunities Artistic Programming

Educational Programming

50%

Annual Operating

Endowment 30% Cash Reserve 11%

Campaign Operations: Fundraising & Marketing 1%

Campus Preservation, Enhancements & Financial Sustainability 8%

Promenade Terrace Parking Pavilion Bram Goldsmith Theater Stage Catering Prep Room Seating Alcove at top of Grand Staircase (LOWY FAMILY) Historic Grand Hall Door “Enlightenment” Historic Grand Hall Door “Communication” Orchestra Pit, Bram Goldsmith Theater Seating Alcove Below Grand Staircase Prop & Mask Shop Star Dressing Room (North) Artist Green Room Grand Hall Historic Window (3 available) Downstairs Ladies Powder Room Downstairs Men’s Washroom GRoW @ The Wallis Education Conference Room House Manager’s Office Control Booth, Bram Goldsmith Theater Visiting Stage Manager’s Office Wardrobe Room Dye Room Historic Bench

$5 million $1.5 million $1 million $1 million $1 million $750,000 $750,000 $350,000 $350,000 $250,000 $250,000 $250,000 $250,000 $250,000 $250,000 $150,000 $125,000 $125,000 $125,000 $75,000 $75,000 $25,000

This list reflects opportunities available as of June 8, 2023

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A COMPREHENSIVE CAMPAIGN

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The Wallis ARRIVES A COMPREHENSIVE CAMPAIGN

TO LEARN MORE, VISIT THEWALLIS.ORG/ARRIVES OR CONTACT THE DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT AT 310.246.3800 X725, OR EMAIL CHRISTINE WEIL, DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT, AT CBERNARDI@THEWALLIS.ORG. top row, left: The Wallis & Deaf West Theatre production of Spring Awakening, photo by Kevin Parry; top row, right: Los Angeles area students enjoying a student matinee at The Wallis, photo courtesy The Wallis ; middle row, left: Lani Hall, photo by Lawrence K. Ho; middle row, center: Ballet Hispanico, photo by Lawrence K. Ho; middle row, right: Audra McDonald, photo courtesy The Wallis; bottom row, left: The Wallis production of Merrily We Roll Along featuring Wayne Brady, photo courtesy The Wallis; bottom row, right: Debbie Allen and participants at Sunday Fun Day, photo by Rob Latour.