Excerpt from the Dayton Daily News
For 25 years, Wright State University has showcased its talented fine and performing arts students in an elegant, entertaining fundraiser known as ArtsGala, returning Saturday, April 6 in the Creative Arts Center on campus.
The joyous, swanky affair celebrates art, music, theatre, dance and film, which have been a driving force for creativity within the university and beyond as faculty and alumni spread the WSU imprint around the country and the world.
“ArtsGala is a real showcase of the type of draw we have for our programs here and speaks to a level in production quality, musicianship and more that sets us apart from our colleague institutions not only across the state but across the nation,” said Dan Zehringer, Chair of WSU’s School of Fine and Performing Arts. “For those in the community who aren’t familiar with our arts programs at Wright State, they may not know we have Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Award winners from either our faculty or former students and alumni, which is a real testament to the type of quality of students we have coming through our doors.”
Since 2000, ArtsGala has raised nearly $4 million and provided more than 1,000 scholarships. The scholarships not only help attract and retain top students within the university’s various programs but helps them focus and study their craft rather than working full-time to fund their education.
“In a typical evening, after our expenses, we make enough money to provide $150,000 in scholarships a year,” Zehringer said. “And certainly, there is more money than that, so we are able to go ahead and give each area – art, music, motion pictures, dance and theatre – a certain equal amount. And from there, that scholarship money is delineated out to incoming students and returning students who really exemplify the best of those programs. ArtsGala is an investment on a number of levels, not only for people to physically show up and support the students but also the financial piece, which is equally as important.”
