Why This Year’s Gala Theme Is “The Art of Giving”: A Message from Executive Director Jenny Stadler

Our theme this year—The Art of Giving—is not merely a celebration of the visual arts. It’s an acknowledgement of the life-changing power of the arts, and the importance of coming together to support the artists who grace our lives.

I’m not a visual artist, but I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve experienced spine-tingling, jaw-dropping emotion looking at a painting. Visual art can tell a story, illustrate history, convey emotion, persuade about injustice, and provide comfort and healing . . . sometimes all on one canvas. This is true of many art forms—music, storytelling, dance. It’s that combination of simplicity and complexity in a great piece of art that makes it so mysterious and transformational.

Yet so often art and access to the arts is not seen as human right, but instead as an afterthought when it comes to funding priorities. While the power of the arts is intangible, artists still have practical needs—they need to eat, and have roofs over their heads, and they need a place to go to create their art. They need to have their right to express themselves—to practice self determination and the dignity of risk—respected. They need a home.

Our gala is a celebration of the artists that PHAME teaches, nurtures and grows. And it is also a celebration of you, PHAME’s friends and stakeholders, who recognize that we need to stand up for art, both individually and as a community.

We encourage you to join us at our celebration of the arts, and of our student artists, on March 8th. Please come dressed as your favorite artist, your favorite work of art, or wear your favorite wearable art. Nurture your inner artist by taking a class yourself during the gala’s happy hour; you can paint, dance, or be a musician for an evening. And at our gala, we’ll invite you to invest in us and our mission to create a community that champions opportunities and possibilities for all artists.

Thank you for celebrating and supporting the Art of Giving. I can’t wait to see you there.

Warmly,
Jenny R. Stadler, Ph.D.
Executive Director