Foundation Events

Winetasia: A Starry, Starry Night, May 18

Winetasia, the annual fundraising event for the Wenatchee Valley College Foundation, will take place on Saturday, May 18, in the Music and Art Center on the Wenatchee campus. The "Starry, Starry Night" themed event includes entertainment by Suzanne MacPherson and Friends, appetizers and wines, an auction, and awards.

The doors open at 6 p.m. for a social hour featuring tantalizing appetizers and wines from many local wineries including Karma, Benson, Milbrandt, Stemilt, Cascadia, Fielding Hills and Snowdrift Cider. A live auction and the annual Foundation Recognition Award presentation begins at 7 p.m. Ruth "Rudi" Pauly will be presented with the WVC Foundation's "Harvey Award" in recognition for her dedicated service and ongoing financial support of the WVC Foundation. Pauly served on the WVC Foundation Board of Directors from 2008-2012 and remains committed to the foundation's mission of supporting the students and programs of WVC.

Some of the items available to bid on at the live auction include a private limo wine-tasting afternoon at Benson Winery and Cairdeas Winery in Chelan; a Downton Abbey Dinner for eight hosted by WVC President Jim Richardson and his wife Kim; a handmade wine cabinet by Sam Clark filled with 42 bottles of premier wines; a Triple Play of Golf at three of the valley's outstanding courses (Wentachee Valley Country Club, Highlander and Bear Mountain Ranch); and a day of dunking, drinking and dining at Rudi Pauly's Lake Chelan Cabin.

At 7:30 p.m., Suzanne MacPherson and Friends will take the stage and entertain guests with song, music and spoken word. The program features Mary Sanders and Glenn Isaacson on piano, Steve Sanders on bass, Bernie Shell on clarinet, Tom McNair on trombone, Mike Choman on guitar, and poet Derek Sheffield.

A post-concert reception will follow the star-studded performance, featuring tantalizing desserts with dessert wines and ports contributed by such wineries as College Cellars, Wedge Mountain, White Heron, Crayelle and Okanogan Wineries.

Event registration is $75 per person. Reservations may be made by calling the WVC Foundation at 509.682.6410. Fifty dollars of each registration is recognized as a tax deductible, charitable gift.

The Piatigorsky Foundation Concert recap

On Friday, Nov. 16, the WVC Foundation hosted a complimentary reception and concert in The Grove Recital Hall in the new Music and Art Center (MAC) for community members and donors of the MAC campaign. Pianist Richard Dowling, from Houston, and violinist Linda Rosenthal, from Juneau, were sponsored by the Piatigorsky Foundation out of New York and put on an outstanding performance to a full house.

Several guests in attendance commented about the quality of acoustics in The Grove. "There is not a bad seat in the house," one guest said. "No matter where you are sitting, you can feel every note!"

"The only place that even comes close to the new recital hall as far as its acoustics is the opera house in Chicago," said another guest.

Linda Rosenthal sent her thanks to the WVC Foundation after the concert: "What warm and wonderful memories I still have from our time in Wenatchee.... Everything about it--the wonderful people we met, the great hospitality you extended us, the concert hall itself, that amazing dinner at Visconti's--was dazzling. Thank you so much!"

Special thanks to Wilfred and Kathy Woods for sponsoring this event.

The WVC Foundation will host another complimentary Piatigorsky Foundation concert in April, featuring cellist Evan Drachman and pianist Lisa Bergman. Both are internationally known musicians. The concert date will be released in early 2013.

Music and Art Center Grand Opening

The public grand opening of the new WVC Music and Art Center on Sept. 30 included a ribbon cutting by Wilfred Woods.

Former WVC music instructor Dick Lapo (center) with his wife Nancy and former WVC President Dr. Steward.

On Saturday, Sept. 29,  the WVC Foundation hosted a private grand opening of the new WVC Music and Art Center for donors to the MAC campaign. The evening included opening remarks from WVC President Jim Richardson and Foundation President Steve Zimmerman, along with recognition of the MAC Capital Campaign Committee and others who played significant roles in this project. The building bustled with approximately 250 to 300 guests who toured the new MAC Art Gallery, visited with faculty and students, enjoyed refreshments and listened to the first performances in The Grove Recital Hall by the Volta Piano Trio.

Janaesha Iwaasa performed at the public grand opening on Sept. 30.

On Sunday, Sept. 30, WVC hosted a community open house, which started with official remarks from President Richardson and trustee Jim Tiffany, and included a ribbon cutting on the patio outside. Throughout the afternoon, a steady flow of visitors of all ages toured the new building, visited with faculty and students, and enjoyed musical performances by WVC music students Heather Bergstrom, Natalie Kahler and Janaesha Iwaasa.

The Music and Art Center features The Grove, a 150-seat recital hall, a prominent student art gallery, recording studio, 3D art room, wood and metal shops, large and small rehearsal rooms, several practice rooms, and multi-media, printmaking, drawing, painting and outdoor studios.

Through support of the Washington State Legislature and significant local donors including the Icicle Fund, construction of the Music and Art Center was completed in the span of 12 months.

The Music and Art Center grand opening included the exhibit "Transitions" by WVC alum Joe Feddersen in the new MAC Gallery.

Click here to donate online!