2018 Annual Report

ANNUAL REPORT 2018 The Edward C. & Ann T. ROBERTS FOUNDATION University of St. Joseph – Guitar Under the Stars. WITH OUR APPRECIATION The Roberts Foundation wishes to thank Elizabeth Normen for her commitment to the Roberts’ legacy for nearly 20 years. Elizabeth served as Executive Director of the foundation from 1997 to 2009. Under her direction, the foundation launched the Creation of New Work initiative in 2003. Elizabeth joined the Roberts board in 2012 and established herself as a dynamic contributor until her retirement in early 2018. As the intrepid publisher of Connecticut Explored, we know Elizabeth will continue to advocate for Connecticut’s rich cultural heritage. 2018 was a year of great transition as the Roberts Foundation welcomed several new board members. As the year came to a close, the trustees bid farewell to board president Carol Terry and arts representative Freddie McInerney of TheaterWorks. Michael L. Campbell was installed as president and Steve Ginsburg of University of St. Joseph was named arts representative. BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR 2018 Carol Terry Pedro Bermudez President Michael L. Campbell Andrew Lattimer Carlos Hernandez Chavez Treasurer Carrie Hammond Alex Williams Freddie McInerney Investment Committee Chair Arts Representative Olivia White Secretary STAFF Lisa M. Curran Executive Director 2018 Greater Hartford Festival of Jazz – Jay Beckenstein and Spyro Gyra. Photo: C’Douglas Images LLC We’d like to use our 2018 Annual Report as the opportunity to introduce you to the members of our board who, as we enter our 55th year, are as dedicated to Ned and Sunny Roberts’ legacy as they are to Greater Hartford’s incomparable arts community. Michael L. Campbell President I first received the gift of theatre through my mother at eight years old. She took me to see a production at the Oval in the Grove in Andrew Lattimer Treasurer Farmington where she told my father, “His My interest/love of the arts started in elementary school. When I eyes got so big during the production I was in 5th grade I was part of a group that put on a musical thought they’d pop out of his head!” I started production of Grease. I remember how exciting it was to sing in appearing in plays at Farmington High School front of the entire school and then at the night time production for in my senior year and continued through the parents. This is what stared my love of the arts. Throughout college. Once I got a taste of the stage, I high school I played the bass clarinet and baritone saxophone. didn’t look back. My first singing roll was in As an adult I have enjoyed watching my children and their The Fantasticks where I fell in love with that friends play the recorder, flute, saxophone, sing in the chorus and musical. I spent most of my theatrical career perform in many musical at the Producing Guild where I held several positions through almost 20 years of service. productions from Annie to I started as a Production Assistant but then Hairspray. To see the joy the moved up to Production Manager/Stage arts has brought to my Manager and then Business Manager. I often children is both satisfying Michael L. Campbell takes the stage in Take Me Along. appeared onstage at the Guild in such and pleasing that they are productions as Take Me Along, Evita and able to share this with me. The Rothchilds to name only a few. I still play In addition, my wife and I the piano and sing to myself but I’ll always love going to the Bushnell be grateful for what the arts have given me. as it becomes two and half hours of losing ourselves in the performance. Olivia White Secretary I was lucky to have arts of all sorts in my life from an early age. Dance lessons were part of my early routine but my talent in that field was, and remains, very hidden. Piano lessons were at the Rebekah Humphrey center of my universe until 9th grade when I discovered visual Interim Investment Committee Chair arts. Again I was lucky to be accepted into the High School of My love of classical music started at an early age—my parents Music & Art, a specialized public school in New York City that is were avid listeners and instilled in me and my siblings a deep now called the Fiorello H. Laguardia High School of Music & Art appreciation for classical music. As toddlers we started to dance and Performing Arts - think “Fame!” As an art major I developed around the house to our favorite composers—Tchaikovsky was creative skills and creative thinking. I learned lots of art history, an early favorite of mine. respect for others’ creative expression, to love museums, that In elementary school, my sister and I were enrolled in ballet classical music is a joy thanks to the music majors, and nurtured lessons to help enhance our perform- a forever love for the arts. My experience at M & A was life ance in our sport of choice, gymnastics. changing and has served me well in my roles as an arts However, dance served as a wonderful administrator and member of the Roberts board. foundation for gymnastics and for life. On the Roberts board I work to help ensure that kids who are To this day people still ask me if I not as “lucky” as I was to experience the joy and benefits of arts danced due to my posture. in their lives. Roberts board members are passionate, smart and I vividly remember attending my first dedicated to advancing excellent arts programs in Greater play at the Shubert—Cathy Rigby is Peter Hartford. I am so proud to be a part of an organization that Pan—I fell in love with theater that day. appreciates and supports arts Presently, I am on the Hartford Stage’s organizations large, medium Stage One board and appreciate the and small and programs that ability of theatre to tell transformative might be experimental or stories, stimulate engaging conver- traditional or contemporary or sations within communities, and classic. We help make our transport us to different worlds. region a vital, lively and fun place for all to live, work and play. I am lucky to serve on Becky Humphrey (right) and her sister prepare to take the floor the Roberts board. in a gymnastics meet. Olivia White strikes a pose atop her family’s baby grand piano. Carrie Hammond Carlos Hernandez Chavez Fortunately for me, I was exposed to the arts as an infant. When in kindergarten in my native Mexico, I remember well My mother was a jazz pianist so I got to listen to her play with what probably was a student exhibit of bright, colorful drawings. her friends from the day I was born. I clearly remember one piece with intense reds, yellows and greens About age three, she started to staring at it for a while and thinking, “I want to do this!” Color is teach me to play. what captivated me. I played piano through high At age ten, when I also got my first guitar, my younger brother and school but also because of the great I entered a TV contest where a storyteller read to children seated overall music training one gets around him. During the reading, they showed on the screen a series learning to play the piano, became of drawings that illustrated the the “utility infielder” for our school story. Children were invited to copy bands and orchestras. I started on the drawings and bring them to the cello in 4th grade and then moved TV office to enter the contest. Every around to different instruments Friday the finalists would be invited depending on what the band or back to vie for the top prizes doing orchestra needed at any given yet another drawing live at the TV time. Over time, these include studio. I won first prize - $100 pesos string bass, oboe, harp, percussion - in my age category seven times, and voice. In college, as an economics and and my brother, eight times. An accomplished vocalist, Carrie Hammond I often reflect on the never-end- piano major, I became music direc- honed her skills in Evanston Township High School’s production of The Fantasticks. ing question of 'what is art?’ What tor of my a capella singing group I've learned is that anything that is and my passion for ensemble singing began. Although I flirted defined as art, always brings a with going into arts management after college, I took a corporate positive, edifying consequence that job (better for paying off student loans!) but was lucky enough to makes us human and humane. audition for and get accepted into the Trinity Church Choir (Copley I continue to grow in the under- Square Boston) as well as the Tanglewood Festival Chorus, standing that I am a set of tools and resident chorus of the Boston Symphony while I was in Boston for an instrument - an amalgam of life business school. 25 plus years later, I’m still an active singer and experiences and values; skills, am so grateful that I get to work with some many wonderful industriousness and knowledge; musicians around the world as part of this journey. sensitivity, and empathy - that When I left my corporate job, it was finally time to go into together, enable me to infuse in my Arts Management and that’s what brought me to the Roberts At age nine, Carlos Hernandez Chavez work a higher sense of awareness Foundation. I’ve had the privilege of working with many of the celebrates Three Kings’ Day with his new guitar.

Load more