Kentucky Opera has received major gifts from longtime donors and former board members Christina Lee Brown and Rose Mary Toebbe.

Brown, a long-time donor, gifted the organization $1 million, while Toebbe, a close friend and donor, bequeathed over $325,000. In recognition of their generosity, the opera center will bear Brown’s name – with the facility now known as the Kentucky Opera Center for Cultural Health – to emphasize her support for health communities.  Meanwhile, the community hall will be renamed the Rose Mary Toebbe Community Hall.

“We are grateful for the visionary philanthropy of these two remarkable Louisville citizens,” said Matthew Hamel, Chair of the Kentucky Opera’s Board of Trustees, in an official press statement.
“Christy’s extraordinary dedication to the arts and to the physical, spiritual, and cultural health of our community is truly inspirational. Rose Mary’s bequest caps a life dedicated to supporting the arts across our area, and we are proud that a central feature of the Opera Center will bear her name.”

Brown is an avid supporter of various initiatives focused on holistic health and community well-being. Additionally, Brown has been instrumental in the establishment of the Christina Lee Brown Environment Institute at the University of Louisville, which aims to build healthy communities.