From the Executive Director
Every spring we are asked “what’s new?”, and as we gear up for our 26th season, we can definitively say there are going to be a number of GRAND new experiences for our audiences, from a seven-show exploration of San Pedro’s Cultural Offerings, to a celebration of the man who created mambo (our July 21 fundraiser), to a peek at the internationally-influenced contemporary arts scene in Mexico (July 12 & 13), to the first-ever Dance-A-Long opening our summer (June 22).
Those who have been with us in the past know that Grand Performances is committed to excellence: excellence in the artists selected, excellence in the production support, and excellence in the overall audience experience. We were proud to have been called out for providing “priceless” experiences by a long-time audience member during last summer’s NPR story about our organization.
This statement shows me that many of you also believe that art belongs in all people’s lives no matter their background, their income or their education level; that you want the arts in your lives and in the lives of your children. But we need the help of as many of you as possible to maintain the standards that we have set since the beginning. On behalf of all the audience members and artists, I want to thank those of you who have put money in the bucket, or become Jewels Members. I ask those of you who have not yet become Grand Performances supporters to join with us in building a community full of people who recognize the values of the arts and the value of experiencing them together.
I encourage you to take your time browsing our season’s offerings, and, when checking off the shows that look GRAND, add something new and different. We hope that you discover your next favorite artist this year. Thank you and welcome to our 26th summer of FREE public performances.
Michael Alexander