By Joseph Sapia
HOLMDEL – The Garden State Arts Center opened in 1968, giving Central Jersey, along with those making easy commutes via the Garden State Parkway, an outdoor entertainment forum.
Sixteen years later, the nonprofit Garden State Arts Foundation was founded, basically to provide programming that would not be financially feasible for the Arts Center to provide.
“Part of that mission was to bring other acts to the community, including the senior community,” said Ronald R. Gravino, the foundation’s vice president.
In those days, for example, classical music concerts, said Gravino, who also is vice chairman of the New Jersey Turnpike Authority (NJTA), which owns the Arts Center at Parkway Exit 116, here.
The center has changed names over the years – now, it is the PNC Bank Arts Center – but the foundation still exists, providing free entertainment. Today, that focus is mostly on schoolchildren and seniors, Gravino said.
“Truthfully, the seniors absolutely love it,” said Carolyn “Cookie” Santiago, a Union Beach resident who is the foundation’s executive director. “Most of them, I would say 75 percent, can’t afford to go to (paid) shows.
“The letters we get, ‘Thank you so much for doing this,’” Santiago said. “And they’re good shows. They’d be paying big bucks. They enjoy it. It’s something for them to do and it doesn’t cost them.”
So far this year, the foundation has put on such concerts as Little Anthony and the Imperials and doo wop shows. Upcoming in the fall are:
• Sept. 7, Wednesday, “Rhapsody and Rhythm, the Music of Gershwin.”
HOLMDEL – The Garden State Arts Center opened in 1968, giving Central Jersey, along with those making easy commutes via the Garden State Parkway, an outdoor entertainment forum.
Sixteen years later, the nonprofit Garden State Arts Foundation was founded, basically to provide programming that would not be financially feasible for the Arts Center to provide.
“Part of that mission was to bring other acts to the community, including the senior community,” said Ronald R. Gravino, the foundation’s vice president.
In those days, for example, classical music concerts, said Gravino, who also is vice chairman of the New Jersey Turnpike Authority (NJTA), which owns the Arts Center at Parkway Exit 116, here.
The center has changed names over the years – now, it is the PNC Bank Arts Center – but the foundation still exists, providing free entertainment. Today, that focus is mostly on schoolchildren and seniors, Gravino said.
“Truthfully, the seniors absolutely love it,” said Carolyn “Cookie” Santiago, a Union Beach resident who is the foundation’s executive director. “Most of them, I would say 75 percent, can’t afford to go to (paid) shows.
“The letters we get, ‘Thank you so much for doing this,’” Santiago said. “And they’re good shows. They’d be paying big bucks. They enjoy it. It’s something for them to do and it doesn’t cost them.”
So far this year, the foundation has put on such concerts as Little Anthony and the Imperials and doo wop shows. Upcoming in the fall are:
• Sept. 7, Wednesday, “Rhapsody and Rhythm, the Music of Gershwin.”
• Sept. 9, Friday, Herman’s Hermits, Gary Lewis and the Playboys and guest host, disc-jockey “Cousin Brucie” Morrow.
• Sept.13, Tuesday, disc-jockey Jerry Blavat Presents “A Salute to Motown,” with the Contours, the Marvelettes and the Elgins.
• Sept. 22, Thursday, singer Tony Orlando.
In 2017, so far, there are plans for singer Bobby Rydell in the spring, Gravino said.
The foundation runs about eight to 10 shows a year at the Arts Center – basically, in May and June and in September, or around regular programming at the center – and does about two programs a year on the road. Children’s programming is educational, perhaps a history-based acting performance or a dance show, Gravino said.
To get tickets to foundation shows at the Arts Center, one only has to write to the foundation and get on its mailing list – which requires some kind of identification to show proof of age 55-years old or older. About 8,000 are on the list now – the Arts Center has room for 17,500, of which 7,500 seats are under the roof.
Then if interested in a show, “you just have to send in (a self-addressed, stamped) envelope and ask for tickets,” said Mariann G. Zach, the foundation’s assistant secretary and an NJTA lawyer.
The tickets do not provide for reserved seating, so event-goers are first-in, first-served.
Although tickets are not really required for foundation shows, those with tickets are allowed to enter first, Santiago said. Also, it helps the foundation know in advance how many will attend, Gravino said.
To sell tickets for a small price would be cost-prohibitive, because of the administrative work involved, Gravino said. So, the tickets are free.
The approximately 30 to 35 shows done by Live Nation, which runs the Arts Center for the NJTA, tend to lean more toward a harder type of rock and country music, Gravino said.
The foundation operates on a budget funded by PNC Bank, Live Nation, sponsors and donations from the general public, Gravino said. While the annual budget amount “does depend on fundraising,” it generally is about $600,000, Gravino said.
All show costs are covered by the foundation, so no tax dollars or toll money from NJTA roads are used. Only two foundation workers are paid – Santiago and volunteer coordinator Jeanne Brown, both of whom are considered part-time outside contractors.
NJTA trustees and workers also volunteer for the Arts Foundation – such as Red Bank lawyer Michael R. DuPont, who is the foundation president and NJTA treasurer.
Gravino said the foundation is “very, very separate from the Turnpike.” For example, the foundation purposely does not solicit donations from those doing business with the NJTA to avoid an appearance of a conflict of interest, Gravino said.
The foundation also uses volunteers, now totaling about 40, to help with such things as mailings and ushering at shows.
Lilly Starnes, 89, of Middletown has been volunteering for years. She works at the gate, handing out programs.
• Sept.13, Tuesday, disc-jockey Jerry Blavat Presents “A Salute to Motown,” with the Contours, the Marvelettes and the Elgins.
• Sept. 22, Thursday, singer Tony Orlando.
In 2017, so far, there are plans for singer Bobby Rydell in the spring, Gravino said.
The foundation runs about eight to 10 shows a year at the Arts Center – basically, in May and June and in September, or around regular programming at the center – and does about two programs a year on the road. Children’s programming is educational, perhaps a history-based acting performance or a dance show, Gravino said.
To get tickets to foundation shows at the Arts Center, one only has to write to the foundation and get on its mailing list – which requires some kind of identification to show proof of age 55-years old or older. About 8,000 are on the list now – the Arts Center has room for 17,500, of which 7,500 seats are under the roof.
Then if interested in a show, “you just have to send in (a self-addressed, stamped) envelope and ask for tickets,” said Mariann G. Zach, the foundation’s assistant secretary and an NJTA lawyer.
The tickets do not provide for reserved seating, so event-goers are first-in, first-served.
Although tickets are not really required for foundation shows, those with tickets are allowed to enter first, Santiago said. Also, it helps the foundation know in advance how many will attend, Gravino said.
To sell tickets for a small price would be cost-prohibitive, because of the administrative work involved, Gravino said. So, the tickets are free.
The approximately 30 to 35 shows done by Live Nation, which runs the Arts Center for the NJTA, tend to lean more toward a harder type of rock and country music, Gravino said.
The foundation operates on a budget funded by PNC Bank, Live Nation, sponsors and donations from the general public, Gravino said. While the annual budget amount “does depend on fundraising,” it generally is about $600,000, Gravino said.
All show costs are covered by the foundation, so no tax dollars or toll money from NJTA roads are used. Only two foundation workers are paid – Santiago and volunteer coordinator Jeanne Brown, both of whom are considered part-time outside contractors.
NJTA trustees and workers also volunteer for the Arts Foundation – such as Red Bank lawyer Michael R. DuPont, who is the foundation president and NJTA treasurer.
Gravino said the foundation is “very, very separate from the Turnpike.” For example, the foundation purposely does not solicit donations from those doing business with the NJTA to avoid an appearance of a conflict of interest, Gravino said.
The foundation also uses volunteers, now totaling about 40, to help with such things as mailings and ushering at shows.
Lilly Starnes, 89, of Middletown has been volunteering for years. She works at the gate, handing out programs.
“As long as I can, my health permits me,” said Starnes, a former dance instructor. “I’m in good health, I enjoy it. It’s a good thing they’re doing for the seniors.”
The foundation also provides ten annual performing arts scholarships of $2,500 each in the name of former Gov. Thomas H. Kean for juniors at Drew University and the nine New Jersey state colleges. Kean had served as Drew’s president and as a member of the state Highway Authority, which previously ran the parkway.
The foundation formerly ran ethnic or heritage events at the Arts Center, but discontinued them this year, Gravino said. Over the years, attendance has dropped from 10,000 to 2,000, with younger people not showing an interest, Gravino said.
“Unfortunately, heritage festivals don’t fly anymore,” Gravino said. “We would eat up a lot of money. We didn’t say you can’t have them, we (just) can’t fund them.”
Garden State Arts Foundation, P.O. Box 5013, Woodbridge, N.J., 07095-5013; 732-442-9200; www.gsafoundation.org.
The foundation also provides ten annual performing arts scholarships of $2,500 each in the name of former Gov. Thomas H. Kean for juniors at Drew University and the nine New Jersey state colleges. Kean had served as Drew’s president and as a member of the state Highway Authority, which previously ran the parkway.
The foundation formerly ran ethnic or heritage events at the Arts Center, but discontinued them this year, Gravino said. Over the years, attendance has dropped from 10,000 to 2,000, with younger people not showing an interest, Gravino said.
“Unfortunately, heritage festivals don’t fly anymore,” Gravino said. “We would eat up a lot of money. We didn’t say you can’t have them, we (just) can’t fund them.”
Garden State Arts Foundation, P.O. Box 5013, Woodbridge, N.J., 07095-5013; 732-442-9200; www.gsafoundation.org.
