Dr. Phillips center receives another big gift

Deborah Sciarrino

The Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts announced another million-dollar gift today — this one from Winter Park residents Michael and Deborah Sciarrino.

This gift is notable because it comes from somebody who isn’t already on the arts center’s board — and that’s meaningful because it indicates that the arts-center folks are actually getting their message out, something that hasn’t seemed to be happening in recent months.

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Tupperware makes donation to arts-center project

Tupperware Brands has pledged $500,000 to the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts project — the second big gift the arts center has announced in a week. Last week Marc and Sharon Hagle promised the project $1.5 million, on top of a $1 million gift they made in 2007.

Tupperware also already pledged $1 million toward the center’s construction. Chairman and CEO Rick Goings also challenged other local corporations to step up and make major gifts.

Here’s the official word:

MicheLee Puppets wins national grant

Congratulations to MicheLee Puppets, which has won a $15,000 grant from the Aetna Foundation for a project to fight childhood obesity in Florida.

The grant was the result of online voting, which — thanks to some terrific online promoting hereabouts — gave MicheLee the third highest number of votes across the U.S.

Here’s lots more about the project and about MicheLee:

Call yourself an artist? There’s grant funding for you …

It’s time to apply for United Arts’ individual artist grants, which are available for artists in literature, media, performing arts and visual arts, as well as for arts administrators. The deadline for applications is Nov. 4.

These awards tend to go to non-performers. But theater folks, dancers and so on are allowed to use the money to attend workshops and seminars, among other things. Think about how a grant could help you in your career.

United Arts is also offering a couple of workshops to help you through the application process. Here are all the details:

Amway heirs give to $22.5 million to the arts — in DC

Amway heirs Dick and Betsy DeVos have given  $22.5 million to the Kennedy Center in DC for training of arts administrators.

This DeVos, Rich DeVos’s son, is a Republican businessman who ran for governor of Michigan and lost to Jennifer Granholm.

Here’s the story.