Santa Monica College’s Madison Project has received a $500,000 grant from the Ahmanson Foundation for the construction of its new visual and performing arts center located at 11th Street and Arizona Avenue in Santa Monica.
The center’s 541-seat theater is now under construction. It will showcase both student work and professional theater dance and musical companies. The $30.78 million center, designed by Zecchetto Architects of Santa Monica, is being underwritten by a combination of public and private funds and is scheduled to be completed in early 2007.
Madison Project Director Dale Franzen said, “We are so thrilled to be receiving this most generous gift from the Ahmanson Foundation for the capital campaign of the Madison Project. Having the support and trust of this very prestigious foundation is crucial to any capital effort for an arts and education project. We are deeply grateful and honored.”
The Madison Project describes itself as “an arts education and community outreach organization that designs unique and innovative arts education programs for children and adults.”
Recent productions include the staging last year of “Brundibar” and the upcoming “Manzanar: An American Story” in June.The Ahmanson Foundation, incorporated as a private foundation in the State of California in 1952, was established by financier Howard F. Ahmanson and his wife Dorothy. Its corpus was augmented in later years by his two nephews Robert H. Ahmanson and William H. Ahmanson. The Foundation’s broad purpose, as stated in the articles of incorporation, is to administer funds for charitable, scientific, educational, literary, and religious purposes, all for the public welfare.
