Morrison Center Endowment Foundation Distributes Over $1 Million to Local Arts Groups

The Morrison Center Endowment Foundation announced a milestone regarding its grant program to local arts groups. Since April of 2011, the Foundation distributed over $1.3 million to subsidize the production costs of local art groups that perform at the Morrison Center. Morrison Center Endowment Foundation recipients included: Boise Philharmonic, The Cabin, Lauren Edson Dance, Inc., Boise School District, Ballet Idaho, Meridian Symphony Orchestra, Ambrose School, Opera Idaho, Idaho Shakespeare Festival, Inc., Wassmuth Center for Human Rights, Boise Music Week, Boise Chordsmen, Trey McIntyre Project, Sage International School, and the Women's and Children's Alliance.
According to Bonnie Wilkerson, Grant Committee Chair, "Performing arts is a hard business - back at the time the Morrison Center was built, its founders watched other theaters around the nation flounder with high performance costs and lack of funding. Rejecting this path, they had the foresight to create an endowment to 'provide the financial security that will permit this marvelous cultural center to thrive... in perpetuity' - thanks to that, the Velma V. Morrison Center for the Performing Arts is ranked (for its size) as the top University Presenter in the entire nation. Art is more than a job - it is an honor, and the Morrison Center Endowment Foundation allows me the greatest privilege of helping impact our community for the better."
The Morrison Center Endowment Foundation's goal is to impact quality performances at Idaho's premier performing arts center. The Endowment Foundation does this by partnering to underwrite the operating and capital expenses of the Velma V. Morrison Center for the Performing Arts if needed, subsidizing production costs for Idaho's local arts groups and sponsoring performances of high-quality national and international artists. Grant applications are administered in two grant cycles. Deadlines are July 1st and January 1st of each year. For more information on the Application For Funding, the Foundation may be contacted by mail at 827 E Park Blvd, Suite 200, Boise, Idaho 83712, or by phone at 208-345-5225.

"The annual impact the Foundation is having on the local arts scene is significant," said James Patrick, Executive Director of the Morrison Center. "The Center provides a wide variety of diverse content. These grants expand the Center's programming while also providing increased access and opportunity to the facility."

VELMA V. MORRISON CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS Located on the campus of Boise State University, the 2,037-seat Velma V. Morrison Center for the Performing Arts is Idaho's premier performing arts center. Nestled on the banks of the Boise River, with a panoramic view of the city, parks and foothills, the Center's 10-story stage house is a recognizable fixture of the Capitol's picturesque skyline. The realization of a life-long dream of Harry W. Morrison, and championed by his widow, Velma, the Center opened its doors on April 7, 1984. Today the Center is recognized as a major destination for arts and culture, annually hosting hundreds of live entertainment and arts education offerings that serve to enrich the lives of patrons of all ages. As a Boise State affiliate, the Center is a non-profit organization supported by ticket sales, facility rentals, donations and the generous support of the Morrison Center Endowment Foundation, Inc. For more information on our programs, or to find out how you can play an active role in our ongoing success as a donor or volunteer, please visit us at: www.MorrisonCenter.com

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