Seattle-based nonprofit ArtSmart has announced a $1 million, five-year pledge from philanthropist and longtime supporter Maryanne Tagney. In recognition of the gift, ArtSmart has established the Maryanne Tagney Youth Development Fund, which will support youth programming across the organization’s national network. As part of the pledge, every ArtSmart student in Seattle will attend at least one Seattle Opera dress rehearsal {…}
ArtSmart will celebrate its 10th anniversary with a gala event on April 8, 2026, at the University Club of San Francisco. The evening will feature performances by soprano Latonia Moore, the organization’s first-ever Director of Engagement and Advocacy, and baritone Will Liverman. This past October, ArtSmart put on a gala that featured performances by Michael Fabiano, Pretty Yende, and Isabel {…}
Isabel Leonard is set to perform the ArtSmart’s 10th Anniversary Gala on October 20 at National Sawdust. The mezzo-soprano will replace Nadine Sierra, who will no longer be able to perform the gala due to unforeseen circumstances. Leonard will join Michael Fabiano for the evening. Leonard is set to reunite with Fabiano this season at the Metropolitan Opera when the {…}
ArtSmart has announced that American soprano Latonia Moore is the organization’s new Director of Engagement and Advocacy. The role is newly created for Moore. Moore, a renowned soprano who has performed at the Metropolitan Opera, the Royal Opera House, Opera Australia, Houston Grand Opera, and The Dallas Opera, among others, has served on the ArtSmart Board of Directors since 2021. {…}
ArtSmart is set to present a 10th anniversary gala in New York City on Oct. 20, 2025. The showcase, which is set to take place at National Sawdust in Brooklyn, will feature co-founder Michael Fabiano performing alongside soprano Nadine Sierra. The duo has performed several times over the years, including in 2019 for an ArtSmart performance, “A Passion for Song” {…}
Ahmad Mayes has been named as the next Executive Director of ArtSmart. Mayes brings two decades of experience in the nonprofit music industry, with a proven record of leadership, strategic vision, and commitment to arts education and cultural equity. He most recently served as Executive Director of the Chamber Music Society of Palm Beach, where under his leadership, the organization {…}
ArtSmart has been awarded The William Penn Foundation grant totaling in $300,000. This historic gift marks a significant milestone in the organization’s growth. The funding will allow ArtSmart to expand its programming in Greater Philadelphia by 40 percent. The organization plans to establish eight new studios across existing program partners and introduce programs at three new schools. Since its conception {…}
ArtSmart has received a local impact grant from NBC10, Telemundo62, and Comcast NBCUniversal totaling $34,315.72. ArtSmart provides tuition-free music lessons and mentorship by paid, professional artists to youth in under-resourced communities across the U.S.. The music mentorship framework is designed to “provide youth a pathway to academic, economic, and emotional stability by harnessing the proven cognitive and social-emotional benefits of {…}
ArtSmart is set to present “A Summer Night” featuring tenor Michael Fabiano and friends. The showcase, set for August 21, 2024 from 6 – 9:30 p.m. at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music’s Barbro Osher Recital Hall, will be hosted by Kelly Clarke and Lilian Tsai. Per a press release, the concert will feature a surprise guest. The event will {…}
ArtSmart has announced that it has received its first million-dollar donation over five years. The donation was donated by Philanthropist and Patron of the Arts Maria Manetti Shrem. Manetti Shrem’s donation demonstrates her commitment to ArtSmart’s successful program model, sustainability, scale, and impact. The transformative and historic donation will catapult ArtSmart’s impact on a national scale. In a statement, Executive {…}
ArtSmart has announced three new members to its Board of Directors. The organization noted that the three new members are Dr. Louise Toppin (University of Michigan), Dr. Marvin Curtis (South Bend Symphony Orchestra), and Ms. Kelly Clarke (former ArtSmart Mentor). They will join a board that includes George Shirley (Board Chair), Michael Fabiano (Co-Founder, Executive Director), John Viscardi (Co-Founder, Treasurer), Liz {…}