Partnership
Your Hylton Performing Arts Center is a monument to the concept of partnership. Founded (and still governed) by an inspiring and slightly imposing document called The Tripartite Agreement—words that are spoken in our hallways with reverence approaching that of the Constitution—the Center has evolved over the last fourteen years as an ever-more-engaged partner with the communities it serves. Those communities, of course, begin with the three parties of that original agreement: Prince William County, the City of Manassas, and George Mason University, who, in a stroke of civic vision still celebrated both locally and nationally, agreed to provide the original construction funding for the Center.
Private philanthropy (most visibly the Cecil and Irene Hylton Foundation, honored this past weekend at our 14th Annual Gala) and support from the Commonwealth of Virginia broadened the partnership early on, and continue to be important as we bring more partners to the party. We have always been invested in the idea that, and here I quote myself delivering the world’s shortest elevator speech, “the arts create community,” through education, creative expression, and uplifting voices from all around us. At the Gala we recognized a true “power couple” in that community-building mission: Sam and Lillian Hill. The outpouring of gratitude and warmth expressed by our Gala patrons toward both sets of our honorees was truly inspiring.
And you’ll read about another kind of partnership in this edition of the Newsletter, too; one that has been around since the beginning and has also grown robustly over the years: our Arts Partners. These companies make great art right here at home, and in turn the Hylton Center provides a world-class home for showcasing our community’s prodigious talents in music, dance, and theater. Their work, along with the growing Arts Alliance membership, is a living testament to the power of partnership.
There are many ways for you to be a partner with the Hylton Center, too. The simplest one is to walk through our doors and see a performance, an exhibition, attend an educational program, or just hang out in the most beautiful arts center for hundreds of miles in any direction. While you’re here, pick up a brochure or two on the coming season of truly amazing artistry that has just been announced, and ask our friendly and knowledgeable ticket sellers to assist you in securing your subscription(s)… and, later on this summer, your tickets to individual shows. Maybe take the next step too, and become a Friend of the Hylton Center.
You’ll be glad you did, and so will we. Sounds like a beautiful partnership!
Rick Davis
Dean and Executive Director