Merck Arts Education Center Opens
New Education Center at The Kimmel Center Features Interactive Exhibits and Educational Programming for the Entire Community
September 13, 2002
According to The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts Chairman Willard G. Rouse III, The Merck Company Foundation's $3.5 million gift was vital to getting The Kimmel Center's Merck Arts Education Center built.
"Today we extend the most heartfelt thanks to The Merck Company Foundation and to Merck's leaders for their generosity and their vision," said Rouse. "They shared in our dream to build an arts education center which will help bring the performing arts to all corners of this community. And they supported that dream early on with a financial commitment that made it possible to turn the dream into reality."
An integral part of The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts' educational mission, the Merck Arts Education Center will help the new performing arts center achieve its educational goals through interactive exhibits developed in conjunction with the Resident Companies, lectures, master classes, and special programs for school students.
"The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts is dedicated to providing quality arts experiences for the community," said The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts President and CEO Janice Price. "We have wonderful performances on our stages. Now with the Merck Arts Education Center, we can complement those performances with special educational events. Our new, interactive exhibits will give young people a fun introduction to the performing arts. We will offer master classes to talented performers right here in our own community. The Resident Companies will be able to expand their already-established educational programs. The Merck Arts Education Center will help us fulfill our mission to make the performing arts accessible to all people and to keep the arts vibrant for future generations."
According to Sue Capps Morris, vice president of operations for Merck Manufacturing Division, West Point, PA, support of the Merck Arts Education Center fits beautifully into Merck's corporate initiatives with the community. It also advances the company's philanthropic outreach in supporting the arts as an integral part of community life in the Philadelphia area.
"We at Merck are very proud to be a part of something we think will make a real difference in the community," said Morris. "As one of the largest businesses in Southeastern Pennsylvania, we take our commitment to partnering with and supporting the community very seriously. We recognize the important role that the performing arts have in building self-esteem, encouraging children to develop new talents, learn different ways of expression and ultimately, achieve self-fulfillment."
Developed in conjunction with the Resident Companies of The Kimmel Center and the Academy of Music, the Merck Arts Education Center offers educational opportunities for people of all ages. Panel displays featuring information about each of the Resident Companies educate visitors about the important arts contributions of these groups, including Kimmel Center Presents, The Philadelphia Orchestra, Peter Nero and the Philly POPS™, The Pennsylvania Ballet, American Theater Arts for Youth, the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, PHILADANCO and the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society.
Each Resident Company provided text and graphics for the panels that hang in the Center and "Fun Facts" are displayed in the Center to encourage creative exploration of the space. For everyone who ever wanted to be a conductor, visitors can stand at the conductor's podium and pretend to be Maestro Peter Nero using the Maestro's baton and one of Nero's original scores that was used in a performance by Peter Nero and the Philly POPS.
Those who have always dreamed of being a dancer can try on sample costumes from a recent performance by PHILADANCO or the Pennsylvania Ballet's Nutcracker. Those interested in set design can study set pieces from the Opera Company of Philadelphia's Barber of Seville. A stand-alone cello will offer those who have never had a chance to play this unique instrument an opportunity to pretend to be one of the great cellists performing with The Philadelphia Orchestra's Maestro Sawallisch.
Interactive kiosks provide a unique multimedia window into the performing arts. With a simple touch of the onscreen menu, visitors can see how The Kimmel Center was built, explore the history of opera at the Academy of Music, hear David Kim explain his role as Concertmaster of The Philadelphia Orchestra, follow a day in the life of a ballet dancer, or sit in on a master class with world-renowned violinist Midori.
In addition to the interactive exhibits, the Merck Arts Education Center will offer morning and afternoon classes in music, dance, movement and theater arts including spoken word, storytelling and poetry taught by local performing artists to students in grades 5 - 8 throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware.
"We're excited about the potential of working with The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts," said Philadelphia School District CEO Paul Vallas. "The Merck Arts Education Center will be a great asset to Philadelphia school children, many of whom have never been exposed to performing arts centers such as The Kimmel Center. Schools throughout Philadelphia are striving to provide quality arts education with diminished resources. What we're getting today is an opportunity to build a partnership that will benefit thousands of kids."
For the 2002-2003 school year, classes will be offered Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from September to May and are expected to reach approximately 11,000 middle school students. The classes are free of charge and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.
The Merck Arts Education Center will be open all year round. Summer programs will include more arts education classes serving approximately 1,000 middle school students and the Teen Summer Arts Camp, a four-week, full-day program for talented young people ages 14-17. The program will offer students unique opportunities to study vocal and instrumental music, theater, dance and stage production with professionally trained teaching artists.
The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts education and community outreach efforts will also include a subsidized ticket program. Community organizations, churches, schools and social service groups will be eligible for $10 subsidized tickets for a variety of performances at The Kimmel Center and the Academy of Music.
Selected artists performing at The Kimmel Center and the Academy of Music will also offer outreach and educational activities free of charge. These activities will include open rehearsals, master classes, pre-concert lectures, workshops and interactive sessions for students. These programs will serve both students and the community by providing access to the major artists in an informal yet educational setting.
In an effort to introduce the Merck Arts Education Center's 2002-2003 offerings to regional educators, The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts will host an open house in late September for educators from the tri-state area.
For more information or to sign up for any of these programs call (215) 790-5800 ext. 5806 or sign up online at www.kimmelcenter.org, then click on the Education section.
About The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts
The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts owns, manages, supports and maintains The Kimmel Center, manages The Academy of Music, and serves as home to nine Resident Companies. These companies include Kimmel Center Presents, a program that offers a rich diversity of choices to complement presentations by the other companies. Activities of The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts also include arts-in-education programming provided by the Merck Arts Education Center and free entertainment throughout the year featuring a wide range of local and regional artists. For more information visit www.kimmelcenter.org.
About Merck Company Foundation
The Merck Company Foundation is a US-based, private charitable foundation. Established in 1957 by Merck & Co., Inc., the Foundation is funded entirely by the company and is Merck's chief source of funding support to qualified non-profit charitable organizations. The Foundation advances the company's philanthropic outreach in helping to meet important needs of our society-in both local and international communities-that are consistent with Merck's overall mission to enhance the health and well-being of people around the world. Such needs include improving health care, fostering biomedical and science education, and supporting the arts, social services, and civic, environmental and other charitable organizations.
About Merck & Co.
Merck & Co., Inc. is a leading research-driven pharmaceutical products and services company. Merck discovers, develops, manufactures and markets a broad range of innovative products to improve human and animal health, directly and through its joint ventures. Today, Merck has grown to become the largest employer in Montgomery County and the seventh largest employer in the state of Pennsylvania. About 10,000 employees work in Merck's research labs, manufacturing facilities and pharmaceutical and vaccine marketing and sales operations in five locations throughout the southeastern Pennsylvania area.
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