The Music Center Announces Nearly $3 Million Dollars in New Contributions

The Music Center continues fundraising momentum for newly renovated Plaza and free and LOW-COST programming with
NEARLY $3 million in new contributions

Performing Arts Center Exceeds Philanthropists Terri and Jerry Kohl’s Fall 2019 Challenge Goal in Support of the TMC Arts Fund

 Generous Grants also Provided by W.M. Keck Foundation and S. Mark Taper Foundation

LOS ANGELES (February 11, 2020)—The Music Center today announced the receipt of recent donations totaling $2.728 million dollars from private foundations and individual donors, earmarked for capital costs of the newly renovated Music Center Plaza along with free and low-cost programs covered by the organization’s TMC Arts Fund. The new funds from the W.M. Keck Foundation and the S. Mark Taper Foundation will support the Plaza renovation while a gift from philanthropist Dr. Susan E. Kendall will benefit TMC Arts programming. Additionally, business leaders and philanthropists Terri and Jerry Kohl, founders of Brighton Collectibles, provided $889,000 in matching dollars to the TMC Arts Fund, which exceeds the Kohl’s original $500,000 challenge grant to help advance transformative arts experiences for all Angelenos; Terri Kohl is the current president of The Blue Ribbon, The Music Center’s premier women’s support organization, and one of its largest donors. The TMC Arts Fund broadens access to the arts for all communities of Los Angeles through public programs, education and dance and supports free and low-cost arts and cultural programming on The Music Center Plaza and throughout The Music Center campus.

“With the comprehensive makeover of The Music Center Plaza, coupled with the launch of the TMC Arts Fund, which provides endless possibilities for programming that reflects and responds to the diversity of Los Angeles County, Angelenos now have a true town square—the ‘Plaza for All,’” said Rachel S. Moore, president and CEO of The Music Center. “We are very grateful to all our donors and the community for their embrace of The Music Center’s vision to deepen the cultural lives of all people in Los Angeles. With their continued support, The Music Center is well positioned to impact the lives of many more people.”

The Music Center’s three original structures—Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Mark Taper Forum and Ahmanson Theatre—are united by an expansive outdoor Plaza. The Plaza’s renovation created a larger, more accessible outdoor space from Grand Park to the east and the Department of Water and Power building to the west, now the largest open, landscaped area of any downtown in the United States. Civic and community leaders rededicated The Music Center Plaza on August 28, 2019, after a 20-month renovation. The Plaza is intended to serve as a principal public square for Los Angeles County, a place where people can not only dine and gather, but also connect with friends and colleagues. With the first renovation of the Plaza since The Music Center opened in 1964, the re-design doubled the occupancy of the space while effectively creating a fifth venue for The Music Center campus.

The Plaza empowers the performing arts center to provide free and low-cost programming in the space, including The Music Center’s annual Very Special Arts Festival, The Blue Ribbon Children’s Festival, Grand Avenue Arts All-Access, Grand Park The Music Center’s N.Y.E.L.A. and The Music Center’s Dance DTLA, among other tentpole events presented by its TMC Arts programming engine. With TMC Arts, The Music Center is breaking new ground as an iconic cultural institution whose core curatorial approach centers around building inclusive, diverse and accessible programs for all.

About The Music Center
The Music Center convenes artists, communities and ideas with the goal of deepening the cultural lives of every resident in Los Angeles County. The non-profit performing arts organization has two divisions: The Music Center Arts (TMC Arts) and The Music Center Operations (TMC Ops). TMC Arts, The Music Center’s programming engine, provides year-round programming inside The Music Center’s four theatres, on The Music Center Plaza, outside at Grand Park—a 12-acre adjacent green space—and in schools and other locations all over Los Angeles County. TMC Arts presents world-class dance with Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at The Music Center, free and low-cost public concerts and events, as well as K–12 arts education programs. TMC Ops manages the theatres, the plaza and Grand Park on behalf of the County of Los Angeles. The Music Center is also home to four renowned resident companies—Center Theatre Group, Los Angeles Master Chorale, LA Opera and LA Phil. For more information, visit musiccenter.org. Follow The Music Center on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @MusicCenterLA.

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