Arkansas Blog: The Rep's bluelight special

The Kresge Foundation, a product of the retailing fortune that built K-Mart, has made a $600,000 challenge grant to the Arkasas Repertory Theatre's capital campaign.

Say, isn't there another discount store fortune in these parts that might pitch in? That is if it could take time off from wrecking the Little Rock School District. Maybe if The Rep would call itself a charter school, it could nab a million or so, too.

Arkansas Repertory Theatre is proud to announce it has received a major challenge grant from Kresge Foundation of Detroit, Michigan. The grant, awarded very selectively to nonprofits in communities in the United States and around the world, is worth $600,000 to The Rep’s capital campaign, REPrise.

“The Rep is honored to receive this gift, and this powerful vote of confidence in our project, from Kresge Foundation,” says The Rep’s Producing Artistic Director Robert Hupp.

To date, REPrise has raised $3.75 million dollars toward its goal of $6 million. The “challenge” of the Kresge Foundation grant means The Rep need only raise $1.65 million in additional gifts and then Kresge Foundation caps off the campaign with the final 10%, or $600,000. Kresge Foundation allows its grant recipients 12 months to raise the necessary funds. Therefore, donors to the campaign now should consider that dollar to the campaign helps The Rep earn the significant Kresge Foundation gift.

Additionally, REPrise just achieved the “Murphy Match” of $500,000, donations to the campaign then matched by a generous gift from Chip and Cindy Murphy.

“We are so appreciative of the generosity and support of the many individuals, corporations and foundations that are making REPrise a success,” says Hupp.

Gifts to REPrise are fully tax-deductible and may be made by calling 378-0445 x 203. Gifts of any size are welcome; naming opportunities begin at $10,000. Gifts to the “Take a Seat” campaign, where donors may name seats in the theatre in honor or memory of loved ones, may be made by calling or online at www.therep.org. Seats range from $250 to $5,000.

About Kresge Foundation:
Founded in 1924 by retailer Sebastian Spering Kresge (K-Mart) and now valued at $3.5 billion, the Foundation is one of the nation’s largest philanthropic organizations. Over the years, the Kresge Foundation has helped build the nation’s nonprofit infrastructure—libraries, community centers, schools, hospitals, art museums, food banks and countless other facilities.

Kresge believed charitable giving was a natural response to his success in business. He was most interested in supporting “organizations whose object is to promote the well being of mankind.” A core program evolved over time that focused on opportunities to strengthen nonprofit leadership and private giving through challenge grants for capital projects.

For more information, please visit www.kresge.org

About REPrise:
REPrise is a $6 million capital campaign launched in July, 2007 by Arkansas Repertory Theatre to enhance theatre patron amenities, expand arts education opportunities, enliven the artistic experience and invigorate the Theatre’s presence on Main Street.

Two phases of the campaign’s work have already been accomplished: the complete renovation of The Rep’s actor housing in downtown Little Rock, and the acquisition of a scenic shop space, also in downtown Little Rock.

For more information, please visit www.therep.org

Comments

>>Say, isn't there another discount store fortune in these parts that might pitch in?<<

Yes, they could and they did. Sam Walton left part of his legacy, $350 million, to what you now call "Walton University" in Fayetteville. The legacy had to be matched. They matched Sam's and exceeded it by another $300 mill. Now we have Walton College of Bidness, and what should be called
"Walton's" College of Educational Reform.

Walton's also seeded the Walton Performing Arts center which is the showcase of Dickson Street-Fayetteville. It too was a matching grant.
.

Posted by: eLwood | December 19, 2008 06:35 PM

The charter school movement has not "wrecked" the Little Rock school system. You can't blame parents for seeking out the best for their children. Sacrificing their children to the educationists is too much to expect. Charter schools are effect, not cause.

Posted by: Casimer Pulaski | December 19, 2008 07:14 PM

Hip Hip Horay for the The Kresge Foundation! The Rep is a treasure and Kresge is not only helping in the effort to preserve it, but also to improve it. Let's get off the Walton Family Foundation's back. Its recent $4.5 million grant to the new Arkansas Public School Resource Center aside, the Foundation is doing many good things that benefit this state. As for the LRSD, the Waltons need not worry about "wrecking" it. The fumbling, bumbling, inept LRSD board is doing a bang-up good job of that.

Posted by: durangokid | December 19, 2008 08:31 PM

Give me a break, the Walton's money is only "buying favor".....unless it goes to something you support.

Posted by: mudturtle | December 19, 2008 09:36 PM

For Grins:

Let's just say the LRSD totally failed, collapsed under its own weight. Which of the current members would you like to see (or be willing to stomach) on a reconstituted board, one that is designed to bring the school system back to its former state.

Posted by: mudturtle | December 19, 2008 09:41 PM

The concern, after renovation of the Rep's physical plant, which is incredibly expensive, is that there isn't enough revenue to run it month fo month. I sincerely hope the Board at the Rep Theater have put their heads together to solve this, because, after extensive renovations, the same problem would exist as before with day to day operations and yearly production expenses if no major plans have been put into place to bring in, once the renovation is completed, major patron dollars and extra income from the theater itself in and through ways that presently don't exist! Theaters are closing coast to coast. The ones that are surviving are thinking outside the box to find ways to generate income that is non-theater related.

I hope the Rep has some great ideas in place on that front. I hope, hope, hope, that the Board doesn't think that an expensive renovation is inherently going to solve the existing financial problems the Rep presently has. My deep concern is that adding in-house space for educational programs isn't going to be enough of a financial boost. This is the only idea I've read aside from adding a few extra theater seats that proposes to help the theater survive once the renovation is completed.

Posted by: Silver Bells | December 20, 2008 12:18 AM

Arkansas Blog

The Rep's bluelight special

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