For more information contact Pam Tatge at 860-685-2693 or ptatge@wesleyan.edu.

(MIDDLETOWN, CT) -- An alumnus and his wife have donated $500,000 to Wesleyan University, which will be used for the development of the Green Street Arts Center (GSAC). The donors, who are long-time supporters of Wesleyan and the arts, wish to remain anonymous.

According to Wesleyan President Douglas J. Bennet: "This is a tremendous and exceptionally generous gift that will strengthen Wesleyan's arts capabilities, particularly our ability to bring the benefits of arts programming closer to the residents and young people of Middletown."

In collaboration with the City of Middletown and the North End Action Team, Wesleyan is converting a former school at 51 Green Street in Middletown into a cultural and educational resource for the community, providing arts classes and workshops particularly for children and families with low and moderate incomes. The GSAC will become a cornerstone of the revitalization of the North End, and will join a vibrant arts community that has developed in the city over the past several years. It is anticipated that the Center will open in the fall of 2004.

Wesleyan has committed to raise $1.2 million toward the renovation of the Green Street Arts Center and another $1 million for programming, scholarships and operational needs of the next five years. Prior to receiving this latest funding, Wesleyan had already raised nearly $586,000 for the Green Street Arts Center, including $200,000 from the City of Middletown through the HUD Community Development Block Grant program and an anticipated $100,000 directly from HUD. In addition, the City currently leases the building to Wesleyan for $1 per year and has pledged $26,000 to repair the building's roof.

Pilot programming for the Green Street Arts Center began last fall and includes classes in dance and music for pre-school and elementary school-aged children and a series of free family arts workshops on Saturdays at the Church of the Holy Trinity. This fall's series of classes begins on September 17. Pilot programming is designed to build momentum for the opening of the GSAC next fall.

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