The Foundation for the Performing Arts Center has awarded grants to four local performing arts groups who will perform at the Performing Arts Center in the upcoming 2023-24 season.
This year’s grant recipients include Ballet Theater SLO, Civic Ballet of San Luis Obispo, SLO Master Chorale, and the San Luis Obispo Symphony.
The “Clifton Swanson Community Access to the PAC Grant Program”, provided by the Foundation, subsidizes the costs of performing on stage in Harold J. Miossi Hall for resident performing arts groups. Every year, hundreds of local artists showcase their talents in the world-class performance theater of the PAC.
“We are thrilled to contribute to local arts groups to ensure they can continue to share their talent with our community in Harold J. Miossi Hall,” stated Kristin Hoover, Executive Director of the Foundation. “It is incredible to see the hard work of local ballet dancers, vocalists, and musicians come to life onstage.”
Beyond the work of the artists, arts organizations employ local choreographers, costume designers, set designers and others who all play an integral role in bringing a performance to life. Every performance from our local arts groups is a full community effort.
The Clifton Swanson Community Access to the PAC grant fund was created to ensure that local artists can access the PAC stage. The cost of producing high quality performances is substantial. Swanson Fund grant awards help to defray costs that are incurred for the use of Harold J. Miossi Hall.
A core component of the Foundation’s mission is to ensure that local artists can utilize the Performing Arts Center. The founders of the PAC first came together with the goal to construct an incredible theater for the benefit of local artists. Their vision was to provide a venue for our community that would enable our resident performing arts organizations to grow and mature in sophistication and capability.
The Clifton Swanson Community Access to the PAC fund, or the “Swanson Fund,” was created in honor of founder, longtime FPAC Board Member, and past President Clifton Swanson. Clif was the former Cal Poly Music Department Chair and founder of the San Luis Obispo Mozart Festival (now Festival Mozaic). Clif has been dedicated to seeing the performing arts thrive in SLO for decades. The grant program that honors his contribution to our community has been in operation since 2015. In that time, the Foundation has awarded over $170,000 to local arts groups.
The Performing Arts Center has an incredible technical staff who work closely with the local arts groups in producing their events. They are experts at lighting and sound design and are highly skilled at providing the extensive behind-the-scenes labor that is associated with remarkable performances.
Katelyn Schiavone, the Executive Director of the San Luis Obispo Master Chorale, spoke to the quality of work produced by the PAC team.
“Quite frankly, the PAC staff is one of the things that makes performing at the PAC so magnificent. There are not enough kind things that can be said about the knowledgeable and efficient staff. Along with the staff who manages the stage, the front of house, marketing and ticketing staff is superb as well, and the SLO Master Chorale attributes some of its successful ticket sales to the PAC’s marketing efforts.”
The Foundation is proud to support the efforts of local artists. It takes creativity, tenacity, and a ton of teamwork to produce exceptional performance art.
The Foundation thanks its donors and business partners for their continued support of the performing arts here in San Luis Obispo County, including their contribution to the Swanson Fund. To donate to the Foundation and help ensure that arts and culture continue to thrive in our community, please visit www.fpacslo.org.