This week starts my last official week at the Dreyfoos School of the Arts Foundation. What a joyous place it has been to work. I will miss the beautiful energy that surrounds the school. It has been such a privilege to work over the years with passionate, talented young people, dedicated, loving faculty, our amazing generous supporters and of course, the staff at the Foundation who work so hard to ensure the school has what it needs.
It is hard to believe I first came here in 2005. The years have flown by. I have so many wonderful memories of performances. Theatre giving us West Side Story, Bev Blanchette’s Mid Summer Night's Dream with students twirling on silks, The Laramie Project, Shrek, and Addams Family. The first performance we attended was Aperture that the students produced to raise funds for those affected by Hurricane Katrina. A young lady told her story and started singing and I knew I was in someplace special. Nadine Sierra would leave the school to become a very famous opera star. Attending dance concerts and watching Billy Bell fly across the stage in amazement, the Holocaust piece that still gives me goosebumps, Swan Lake and Queen. The many Prism concerts over the years that wowed countless supporters, first at Meyer Hall and then at the Kravis Center. Reading The Muse and Seeds and listening to our debaters, wondering how these young writers/speech makers could have such insight and poise in high school. Finally, experiencing the art that surrounded me daily in our building, and at the art shows, collecting some pieces over the years and amazed at their maturity of the artist statements. The senior art show at the Armory Art Center each year filled with unique and vibrant works, packed with community art enthusiasts. I was constantly surprised and amused!
Seeing the work the Foundation provided to the school always motivated me to see what else we could do. I watched our scholarships grow to more than $200,000 per year, and saw how paying for music lessons, school trips or summer institutes were transformational to a young artist. Helping launch the digital media program with grants from the MacArthur Foundation and sustaining it with grants from the Addison Hines fund and others gave artists a new direction to go. Bringing artists to the school through our artist in resident and guest artist program helped our young artists see the future if they chose to continue down that path. Playing a small part in securing the Davis Foundation’s gift that provides art supplies that has over the years provided music instruments, dance flooring, sound systems, piano labs, printing presses, gallery lighting, TV production upgrades, and so much more. Finally, the college prep program the Patterson Family Foundation has funded has resulted in improved SAT scores and has opened doors for students to more colleges and scholarships than ever before.
And how can I forget the events! Musical luncheons on Palm Beach, galas at the Breakers, Dreyfoos Goes Old School at Old School Square, One Night Only at Meyer Hall, and of course the famous Dreyfoos in White. Each event showcasing our beautiful students and winning the hearts of the attendees.
The staff, parents, faculty, supporters and Board members are people who will stay with me forever. Your friendships, support and love are something I will take with me. I will miss you all but plan to come back often when our in-person performances begin again.
All I can say is, it has been a wonderful journey and I wish the new Executive Director much success and hope that he will find his life as enriched and fulfilled as I found mine.
All the Best,
