HEARTS PW (Helping Enrich the Arts of Port Washington) has announced its new grant programs and grantees across the public schools and community for the 2022-2023 season. HEARTS PW is an independent, not-for-profit community organization whose mission is to add value to children’s lives and the community by supporting, promoting and enriching the arts in Port Washington.
“HEARTS PW is proud to present our new slate of grant programs, providing a wonderfully wide range of enriching arts experiences that is sure to make a rewarding impact in our Port Washington community,” said Eric Gewirtz, Board President of HEARTS PW. “Through these 27 programs in our 2022-2023 cycle, children and adults alike will have access to life-changing arts programs in our schools and community, including theater, music, dance, visual art, storytelling, and much more. We are grateful for the generous support of our many donors and supporters to help us realize and further our mission to create meaningful and engaging arts experiences for all to enjoy.”
The grant programs and grantees are listed below.
Community Grants
Berest Dance Center: Dance for Joy (Olga Berest)
“Dance for Joy” is a 10-week Dance Scholarship Program taught by volunteer senior student teachers in the Berest Dance Center for those in the community who otherwise would not be able to attend such a class due to financial restraints.
The Community Synagogue Theater Company (Lori Zlotoff)
Support will be used to benefit Community Synagogue Theater Company’s musical production, (show to be determined).
Landmark on Main Street: Artist in Residence Program (Kellie Rentz-Bruneau)
Landmark on Main Street will offer workshops, master classes, and multicultural, interactive performances with professional musicians, input and collaboration with local students through School District liaison Kevin Scully. Co-sponsored with The Ed Foundation.
Landmark Radio Theater-2022-2023 Gina Farasciano Community Theater Grant Recipient (Patrick Lyons)
Landmark Radio Theater performs radio plays on stage at Landmark on Main Street’s Jeanne Rimsky Theater in Port Washington before both a live audience and in streaming video over the internet. The plays will be produced in an “old-time radio” style, incorporating live music and sound effects created on stage and a cast of voice actors giving life to an array of vivid characters. Production to be announced.
The Nicholas Center: Understanding Autism Through Art (Nicole Sugrue)
Through its Creative Arts Program, The Nicholas Center connects autistic individuals with the wider community through ‘art-focused’ projects that facilitate inclusion, socialization, and community building. The funds will support a musical theater production for the participants.
Port Washington Parent Resource Center: Music Program for Stepping Stone Classes (Leila Noor)
An engaging music program for Pre-K children who may not otherwise have access to extracurricular activities. Co-sponsored with The Ed Foundation.
Parent Resource Center: Outreach Program for the Arts (Leila Noor)
The Outreach Program at the Parent Resource Center serves low income Latin American immigrant families with young children. Our Outreach Program serves more than 200 children and parents each year, giving them access to programming, particularly music and art-focused.
Port Washington Senior Citizens Center: Painting Class (Leila Noor)
Seniors who attend programs at the center will engage in specialty art classes facilitated by qualified art teachers. Generous support is provided by The Peter and Jeri Dejana Foundation.
Port Summer Show (Melissa Campanelli)
This time-honored community Theater Company exists for children in the school district during the summer months. A full-scale musical production takes place in August for the whole community to enjoy.
Port Washington Public Library: Writers on the Sound (Sonia Arora)
A creative writing class for middle school and high school students will be offered so that youth may compose storybooks while working guided to act out a piece of literature.
School Grants
•Schreiber High School
The Memory Project (Nicole Thomas)
The Art Honor Society will create portraits of children and teens around the world who have been orphaned, neglected or disadvantaged. The portraits will be delivered to the children to provide them with special memories that capture their childhood.
Schreiber Theatre Company’s Annual Musical Production (Lauren Foster-Holzer and Christine Nelson)
Students will engage in professional-level musical theatre production for the Port Washington community to enjoy.
Schreiber Theater Company’s Annual Play (Christine Nelson)
Students will produce a full-length stage play production at Schreiber in November.
Hand Sculpture (Miranda Best)
High School students will be engaged in the art of making sculptures based on their own hands, in the form of a gesture that marks an important childhood memory.
Making Murals–Senior Experience in Art (Miranda Best)
Paints and supplies are being provided for students enrolled in Senior Experience in Art. This includes materials to create collaborative, installation artworks in the building and mural painting supplies for students who would like to create murals as part of their Senior Experience project.
Traditional Medieval and Renaissance Manuscript Painting (Nicole Thomas)
A visiting artist workshop entitled “Traditional Medieval and Renaissance Manuscript Painting with Egg Tempera.” In this two-day workshop, students will collaborate with medieval art expert and artist Patricia Miranda.
•Weber Middle School
Weber Music Tech/AV Club (Allison Friedman)
In an after-school club, students will learn the technical side of music and theatre by learning how to operate sound and lighting boards, how to create music with digital tools, and how to record/edit audio and video.
Woodwind & Brass Ensemble (Elizabeth Andrew)
The objective is to provide a forum for students who play a woodwind or brass instrument to have a small ensemble experience, typically referred to as a “chamber”. The goal is for students to increase their personal musicianship skills and to be part of a community of students who share in the goal of improving as musicians.
•District Wide
Night of Jazz (Kevin Scully)
Members of the Sousa Elementary School Jazz Band, Weber Jazz Lab, Weber Jazz Ensemble, and Schreiber Jazz Ensemble will have an experience rehearsing and performing with world-renowned jazz trumpet player Tony Kadleck. Approximately 100 students and their teachers will be involved.
Night of 1,000 Strings (Kevin Scully)
Over 300 orchestra students from all seven schools will be performing at the Tilles Center for the Performing Arts, LIU Post at the Night of 1000 Strings anticipated for March 2023, during Music in Our Schools Month. Co-sponsored with The Ed Foundation.
•All Elementary Schools
Curtains Up–A Musical Theater Experience (Allison Friedman and Stacey Medford)
Curtains Up is an elementary school theatre program for fourth and fifth-grade students in the Port Washington public schools. Curtains Up instills a love of musical theatre as well as helps to teach self-confidence and community-building skills. Production to be announced.
The Mosaic Project (Kevin Scully and Elementary School Principals)
With instruction from the Kupferberg Center for the Arts at Queens College, all third-grade students across the district will learn about four distinct cultures-Afro-Cuban, North Indian, Japanese, and West African-as well as how to appreciate and respect one another’s cultures. Co-sponsored with The Ed Foundation
Afternoon Artists (Stephen Moore)
All students will be invited to join this after-school art program, to learn new skills and create beautiful expressions of art.
Storytime Theater (Kevin Scully and Elementary School Principals)
This program incorporates performance arts with the classroom curriculum as students experience books in a kinesthetic, artistic, imaginative, social and tactile atmosphere.
•Daly Elementary School
Daly Select Chorus (Tyler Masson Draffen)
The objective of this choir is to have students learn and perform music at a higher caliber than what is normally taught during school. Once the music is learned, the goal is to have students perform in different venues throughout the school year.
•Salem Elementary School
Alvin Ailey West African Dance (Pia Ferrante)
First graders will participate in an eight-week, in-school residency in West African style dance, led by members of the celebrated Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. These workshops teach the unity of body, mind and spirit which is fundamental to African culture. This program is funded in partnership with The Ed. Foundation and Salem HSA.
•Guggenheim Elementary School
DrumFit (Chrissy Piserchia and Maribeth Betsch)
This grant features a morning intramural program to incorporate music, dance, performance and fitness into the lives of the students. Combining balance balls, drum sticks, music and movement, the drums will be the catalyst for this unique activity.
—Information provided by HEARTS PW with additional reporting by Julie Prisco
