PNC Foundation grants gift to the Weinberg Center

PNC Foundation grants gift to the Weinberg Center’s Capital Campaign

The Weinberg Center for the Arts is pleased to announce they have received a generous leadership gift of $75,000 from The PNC Foundation to be used towards the Weinberg Center’s current $1 million dollar Capital Campaign. The leadership gift has been designated for upgrades towards the renovation and restoration of the Center's Marquee. Additionally, the gift will be matched dollar for dollar from a challenge grant given to the Center by the Ausherman Family Foundation.

"The Weinberg Center for the Arts is one of the jewels of downtown Frederick. Supporting the Weinberg’s restoration efforts means that we’re supporting the historic character of downtown Frederick as well as our vibrant arts community--one that is a key economic engine for this city," said Gordon M. Cooley, Regional President for PNC Bank's Western Maryland region.

"The gift from the PNC Foundation is designated for the restoration and replacement of the marquee. Through research, the planning committee for the Weinberg’s restoration efforts identified a company that specializes in historic theater marquees. “This gift gets us halfway towards our goal for the new, historic marquee,” said John Healey, Executive Theatre Manager of the Weinberg Center for the Arts. "The design is not finalized, but the change will be one that is more historically accurate to the period of the building while adding some needed safety and visual upgrades.”


More about the Capital Campaign

The Weinberg Center, originally built in 1926 is now reaching out to the community to help make much needed improvements to the Center. Major renovations have not taken place at the Center since 1976, when the Center was donated to the City of Frederick as the Weinberg Center for the Arts. The Ausherman Family Foundation awarded the Center with a two-year challenge grant that matches dollar for dollar on donations received towards the Capital Campaign now through December 31, 2010. The PNC Foundation grant will be matched and will ensure that renovations at the Weinberg Center continue over the next several years.


The Capital Campaign is raising money for continued facility improvements. Some of the projects planned are an upgrade to the Grande Drape, Lobby and Mezzanine updates, a new marquee, façade improvements, and many others. Many different naming opportunities are available for the Greater Frederick community. Opportunities include the naming rights to seats, a star in the Star Hall of Fame, and naming opportunities of physical spaces within the Center. For more information about the giving levels, the challenge grant, and naming opportunities, please call the Weinberg Center for the Arts at 301-600-2839.

The Center’s vision is to enhance the area’s cultural life and offer opportunities for the broadest audiences to partake in affordable, accessible, high quality dramatic, artistic, and educational programs. The Center is a vital part of the economic life of Downtown Frederick. Each year, the Weinberg attracts more than 50,000 patrons contributing up to $6.1 million dollars annually to the local economy by visiting shops, restaurants, and local stores.

The Weinberg Center for the Arts, a municipal facility of the City of Frederick, is located at 20 West Patrick Street in downtown Frederick, Maryland. The historic theatre opened in 1926 as the Tivoli, and was donated to the City of Frederick by the Weinberg Family in 1976. Today as one of the region’s premier presenting facilities, the 1,200 seat Weinberg Center offers professional LIVE! Series, including dance, music, theatre, family performances and films, weekday performances for students, and classic movies. Performance space and professional services are available to a variety of community arts groups, civic and business organizations, and other arts promoters. Programming at the Weinberg Center for the Arts is made possible with support from the City of Frederick, Frederick County Government, Maryland State Arts Council, Frederick Arts Council, Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation, The Frederick News-Post, Bank of America Foundation, The Plamondon Companies and other corporate and individual donors. For more information about upcoming events at the Weinberg Center, please call the Box Office at 301-600-2828 or visit www.weinbergcenter.org.