FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MORE:
Kimberly Sikora
Waterford Public Relations, Inc.
703-683-4815
ksikora@waterfordpr.com
Virginia
Arts Leaders Gather at Schlesinger Center
Virginia Commission for the
Arts Praises New Center
ALEXANDRIA,
Va. (October 17, 2001) - Heralding the opening of the area's newest crown jewel
for the performing arts, more than two dozen local arts organizations and members
of the Northern Virginia Arts Alliance (NVAA) recently hosted the Virginia Commission
for the Arts at the new Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall and Arts Center on
the Alexandria campus of Northern Virginia Community College.
The
Commission's Fall 2001 quarterly meeting provided an opportunity for Alliance
members and Northern Virginia Community College to highlight the Schlesinger Center
as the preeminent performing arts facility in Northern Virginia.
"It
was wonderful to hold our meeting in this magnificent new facility, only days
after its opening," said Peggy Baggett, executive director of the Virginia
Commission for the Arts. "I commend Dr. Belle Whelan and the board of the
Northern Virginia Community College for their leadership in creating this important
new performance facility for the community."
Leaders
from the NVAA, which includes the arts commissions and councils from Alexandria
City, as well as Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William counties, praised
the new performing arts venue, which has thrust Alexandria into the same circle
as Washington, DC and New York City when it comes to quality theaters.
"It's
an exiting time in Northern Virginia," said Annmarie Pittman, chair of the
Alexandria Commission for the Arts. "The Schlesinger Center will become a
major arts magnet and is one more opportunity to spotlight Northern Virginia arts."
Local
arts leaders and state legislators, including Senator Patsy Ticer, Delegate James
Almond and Delegate Kenneth Plum, attended the meeting, which focused on funding
for 2002-2004 and awarded individual artist fellowships.
The
Virginia Commission for the Arts is the state agency charged with promoting the
arts throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia. The Commission annually awards $5
million in grants to various arts organizations and individual artists throughout
Virginia with funds from the Virginia General Assembly and the National Endowment
for the Arts.
The Schlesinger Center, with
the breathtaking 1,000-seat Mary Collier Baker Theater, beautiful glass-enclosed
Wachovia Forum, intimate Margaret W. and Joseph L. Fisher Art Gallery and Internet-ready
seminar rooms, is already being touted as the premier performing arts venue on
this side of the Potomac.
The Center is named
for the late wife of Dr. James R. Schlesinger, former U.S. Secretary of Defense
and Secretary of Energy. Mrs. Schlesinger was a violinist and board member of
the Arlington Symphony until her death in 1995. Dr. Schlesinger donated $1 Million
to name the Center in his wife's memory. Dozens of local corporations, foundations
and individual donors also generously contributed to the Center, allowing the
college to build a first-rate facility that audiences in this area have come to
expect.
The Schlesinger Center will be dedicated
on October 19, 2001 during a ceremony that will include local dignitaries, members
of the Schlesinger family and supporters of the arts throughout Northern Virginia.
For more information on the Schlesinger Center, please contact Leslie White, Managing
Director, at lwhite@nvcc.edu or
703-845-6156.
#
# #
News
| Calendar of Events
| Art Gallery | Directions
| About Schlesinger | Seating
Chart | Price List | Technical
Specifications | Meetings & Special Events
| Contact Us | Home
