PB & J on Tour
PB & J on Tour
FOR INFORMATION CONTACT:
Emily Hefley
emily@gpacweb.com
901-751-7665
PB&J ON TOUR AT SCHOOLS
GPAC recognizes that not all children are able to attend the Peanut Butter & Jam sessions that are hosted at our location throughout the season because of transportation issues, the price of admission, or both. The PB & J On Tour Program takes music and dance artists to selected schools all over the Mid-South to perform for students in grades K-2.
The goals of this program are:
Introduce PreK-2 children to different styles and genres of music, movement, and performing arts.
Promote literacy through the performing arts
Outcomes include:
Spark classroom discussion and written response after viewing two different performing arts genres.
Engage students during live performances through both physical (clap, tap, move etc) and mental (listen, observe, understand, connect) senses.
Provide students with a “Brain Break”
HOW IT WORKS:
GPAC schedules two different shows to be performed at your school in the fall and spring. Shows are specifically geared toward K-2 and vary in themes (music, dance, theater and cultural arts). GPAC provides all the necessary sound equipment (if schools do not have a sound system) to better enhance the performance. Surveys will be conducted after each performance along with a focus group at the end of the GPAC season.
This FREE program is funded through the GPAC Arts Education Fund and local grants.
MASTER CLASSES
MASTER CLASSES
MORE INFORMATION
Emily Hefley
Programing Director
emily@gpacweb.com
901-751-7665
GPAC CONNECTS THE COMMUNITY TO NATIONALLY RENOWNED ARTISTS THROUGH MASTER CLASSES, LECTURE DEMONSTRATIONS, AND WORKSHOPS.
Artists participate in these educational programs in conjunction with their season performance.
Creative Arts Ensemble
Creative Arts Ensemble
Creative Arts Ensemble
Creative Arts Ensemble is a multi-disciplinary experience that provides adults with disabilities the opportunity to be understood and heard, to execute self-expression, to build confidence and promote self advocacy through multimedia forms of art.
GPAC COVID-19 CRISIS UPDATE
GPAC COVID-19 CRISIS UPDATE
April 1, 2020
GPAC Friends,
One month ago, a sell-out audience sat in the magnificent GPAC theater, enraptured and enthralled — uplifted by the songs and spirit of the late Ray Charles, the very first of many giants to perform in our space. On the verge of completing our most successful season EVER, with 11 sold-out shows and the highest number of patrons, subscribers, donors, and sponsors in our history, we were excitedly looking forward to the imminent opening of our new outdoor performance venue, The Grove. We had announced with much fanfare our 26th Season and begun a robust wave of ticket sales. Interest and participation in our arts exhibitions, dance classes, youth symphony program, and adult arts education programming were at an all-time high. GPAC and its staff delighted in our roles, bringing outstanding arts and cultural experiences to our community and planning for the next 25 years.
Much has changed since then. I would not be honest if I didn’t say that GPAC faces enormous challenges as we adapt to keep our patrons and our staff safe and do our part to help slow the spread of the Covid-19 virus. The performing arts center is closed to the public, most staff are working remotely, and all part-time staff has been temporarily laid off. Events have been postponed and canceled, ticket sales are drastically low, and we’re grappling with the critical effects of abruptly lost revenue. Everything on the schedule between now and the end of April has been scuttled, and May is very much up in the air. We are still planning for next season, but it’s one that will potentially look drastically different from what we had planned. Time will tell.
Meanwhile, ever mindful of our mission “to present the highest quality artistic endeavors to educate, engage, enrich and transform,” we are coming up with new and creative ways to connect with our patrons and students. We are now operating in ways that support social distancing but feed our collective hunger for the arts.
Staff has created online instructional and virtual dance videos for our ballet students.
Our youth symphony students are engaging in a Listening Project, in which they share music pieces that bring them peace and calm. GPAC Youth Symphony staff are developing ways to complete the season virtually, with music appreciation lessons and one-on-one rehearsals via Zoom.
We are continuing with ArtsLaunch, the City of Germantown’s public art master plan development project, which is funded in part by the National Endowment for the Arts. Plans for community engagement around the subject of public arts in Germantown will now move online and occur via social media.
Keenly aware of our responsibility as a leading arts organization in our region, we are also taking steps to help the artistic community.
Via social media, we are sharing tools and resources for aid to artists and musicians, as we know so many have been dreadfully hard hit.
Mindful that we are not alone in the impact the virus has had on our operations, our board and staff are also advocating at the local, state, and national levels for relief efforts that would include non-profit arts groups, theaters, and artists.
Ever amazed by the ingenuity and adaptability of the artistic community, we are sharing positive stories and arts experiences being offered virtually across the nation.
Throughout this entire season, we have stood on stage and encouraged you to join us as we embrace the challenge of growth and plan for our future. Today, although the challenges before us are significantly different, we need you to join us more than ever! We know that you share our belief that the arts inspire and heal, that you crave the creative connection we experience through the arts, and that you look forward to the day we can gather again — in The Grove and on the GPAC main stage. We do, too. Quite honestly, we are going to need your support to get there.
May you and your families stay safe and well!
Paul Chandler
Executive Director
STAFF DIRECTORY
STAFF DIRECTORY
Emily Hefley
Programming Director
901-751-7665
emily@GPACweb.com
Jenn King
Education and Engagement Coordinator
901-751-7665
jenn@GPACweb.com
Patty Cooper
Visual Arts Coordinator
901-834-2255
patty@GPACweb.com
Michael Lee
Technical Director
901-751-7500
mlee@GPACweb.com
Jasmine Hirt
Venue Director
901-751-7670
jasmine@GPACweb.com
Blaine McGee
Facility Services Coordinator
901-751-7506
blaine@GPACweb.com
Mandy McKay
Facility Services Coordinator
901-751-7502
mandy@GPACweb.com
Mac Gittinger
Venue Manager
901-751-7504
mac@GPACweb.com
Brad Pitts
Food & Beverage Manager
901-289-4927
brad@GPACweb.com
Angie Brannon
Business Manager
901-751-7614
angie@GPACweb.com
Parke Kennedy
Executive Director
901-751-7505
parke@GPACweb.com
Gretchen KIobucar
Director of Development
901-757-7319
gretchen@GPACweb.com
Elizabeth Danilson
Donor Relations & Database Manager
901-751-7613
elizabeth@GPACweb.com
Nevada Presley
Marketing & Public Relations Manager
901-751-7501
nevada@GPACweb.com
Suzette Simmonds
Box Office Manager
901-751-7510
suzette@GPACweb.com
Jared Smith
Box Office Assistant Manager
901-751-7500
jared@GPACweb.com
Ellen Lemm
Marketing Coordinator
901-751-7513
ellen@GPACweb.com
Peggy Davis
Production Manager (Administrative Focus)
901-751-5712
peggy@GPACweb.com
HISTORY AND MISSION
HISTORY AND MISSION
The mission of the Germantown Performing Arts Center (GPAC) is to serve the community by presenting the highest quality artistic endeavors to educate, engage, enrich, and transform.
GPAC is located in the heart of Shelby County, and serves the greater metro Memphis area of over a million people and is accessible to all members of the community.
The Highland Capital Performance Hall is an acoustically perfect, 854-seat venue featuring a sprung pine stage, an elegant patron lounge, eight spacious dressing rooms, and a large lobby for entertaining and assembling; The Grove, a dynamic outdoor venue which can accommodate approximately 900 guests in a lush outdoor setting; and the Watkins Studio Theater, an intimate black box theater. Ray Charles set the bar high when he opened GPAC in 1994, immediately defining this space as a place where excellence is the norm and where the world would come to perform. Season after season, GPAC has applauded an array of artists with extraordinary talents and showcased the broadest range of performances and art forms. GPAC presents world-renowned performing artists in a variety of genres, year-round educational activities for all ages including, the GPAC Youth Symphony Program, rotating visual art exhibits, and many community events welcoming over 100,000 visitors annually. The organization benefits from the infrastructure of a professional organization that possesses a clear direction, strong financial health, a professional and seasoned staff, and a dedicated board of directors.
GPAC is the center of our community. It’s where we go to connect, commune, and experience new things. A place where we encounter beauty—where there’s no room for the mundane or routine.
But there is room for you. No matter your age or background. No matter where you’re from or how you got here.
Come to GPAC. Come find your center.
SPONSORSHIP
SPONSORSHIP
GPAC SPONSORSHIPS ARE AN EXCELLENT WAY TO PROMOTE YOUR BUSINESS AND CULTIVATE COMMUNITY RECOGNITION AS A SUPPORTER OF THE ARTS.
EACH SPONSORSHIP IS CUSTOMIZED TO BENEFIT THE SPONSOR AS WELL AS GPAC. TYPICALLY, BENEFITS INCLUDE (BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO):
Recognition (season program, Patrick Lawton Lobby Donor Wall, website, marketing materials, social media, pre-show PowerPoint, curtain speech) and commercial before Concerts in The Grove
Complimentary tickets to GPAC performances, plus discounts for additional tickets
Invitations to donor receptions and artist Meet & Greets
Contact Parke Kennedy, Executive Director
901-751-7505
DONATE
DONATE
WE RELY ON YOUR SUPPORT IN ORDER TO DELIVER THE KIND OF EXCELLENCE ON THE STAGE AND IN OUR MANY EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS THAT YOU AND OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY HAVE COME TO EXPECT.
GPAC is a wonderful public-private partnership. The City of Germantown built the theater and continues to maintain the building, as well as provide all salaries and benefits for City employees working at GPAC. Thanks to this generous support, GPAC donors can be confident that 99% of all donations go directly to programming and educational outreach. However, the need doesn't stop there. Contributions from Presenters Circle members, Jazz Society members and other donors including businesses, grantors and local organizations represent a very important source of income for GPAC. We rely on your support in order to deliver the kind of excellence on the stage and in our many educational programs that you and our entire community have come to expect. Your donation of any amount is truly vital to our mission and financial well-being.
SUPPORT US
Please support GPAC through individual or corporate gifts, sponsorships, gifts of stock, or bequests.
CONTACT
Parke Kennedy
Executive Director
parke@GPACweb.com
(901) 751-7505
SCHOOL MATINEES
SCHOOL MATINEES
GPAC connects children, teachers and schools across the Mid-South with the performing arts during exciting weekday performances of music, dance and theater. GPAC student matinees are specifically designed to engage students on a deeper level by exposing them to high-quality performing arts, complementing school curricula and expanding cultural awareness. Reserve your spot starting today!
Ticket Prices: $8 per student and 1 Free Teacher/Chaperone ticket per 10
CAMPS
CAMPS
GPAC offers opportunities for creative self-discovery through half-day summer arts camps in dance, music, and art for ages 3 and up. Camps are designed to stimulate artistic talents and provide enjoyable, enriching experiences.
CONTACT
Jenn King
Education and Engagement Coordinator
jenn@gpacweb.com
(901) 751-7665
