Adrienne Arsht Center Announces Creation of First Endowed Chair for Education and Community Engagement to honor arts supporter and community advocate Dorothea Green

$2.5 million gift from Green Family Foundation Trust creates first-of-its-kind endowed chair

Miami, FL – April 29, 2024 – The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County announced a $2.5 million gift from the Miami-based Green Family Foundation Trust (GFFT) to establish and endow the Dorothea Green Chair of Education and Community Engagement. This endowed chair position, a first of its kind at a performing arts center in the U.S., provides long-term financial support for Arsht Center education and community engagement initiatives, including free shows for Miami-Dade County Public School students, pop-up neighborhood performances, programs for people with disabilities and more. The official announcement took place at a ceremony in the Dorothea Green Theater of the Arsht Center’s Ziff Ballet Opera House on Friday, April 26, 2024.

The Center’s Vice President of Education and Community Engagement, Jairo Ontiveros, a staff member for more than a decade, has been named the inaugural chair. The distinction marks the first endowed chair at the Arsht Center as well as the first endowed position for an education and community engagement vice president at a performing arts center. An endowed chair position is one of the highest honors proffered to a member of an orchestra or, in academia, to a distinguished professor.

Through the newly created Dorothea Green Chair of Education and Community Engagement, Ontiveros will continue to advance the Center’s mission to connect people from every corner of the Miami community through artistic excellence and inspiring educational experiences.

“This gift recognizes Dorothea Green’s contributions and those of the entire Green Family to the Miami community, while enhancing stability for the Arsht Center’s education and community engagement programs. I am honored to be the inaugural chair and represent the Arsht Center in this unique way,” said Ontiveros. More about Ontiveros here.

”The Arsht Center has a longstanding commitment to connecting many parts of our community to the arts. With this gift to the Center’s endowment, we hope to contribute to the long-term stability and continued access to the arts provided by the Center,” said Dr. Kimberly Green.  A portion of the gift includes a pledge by GFFT to match up to $2 million raised from the philanthropic community.

The Green Family Foundation Trust’s multi-million-dollar philanthropic support of the Arsht Center dates back to 2013 and has focused on the following:

• Funding the Arsht Center’s efforts to support Haitian dance company, Ayikodans, enabling their Miami debut at the Arsht and the rebuilding of their Port Au Prince studio following the 2010 earthquake.
• AileyCamp Miami, the Arsht Center’s transformative, six-week scholarship-based summer camp, which was recognized by the White House as an outstanding youth development program.
• Accessing the Arts, inclusive residencies designed to integrate the creative arts into the lives of students and adults with disabilities.
• Grants for endowment and arts education, including $2.5 million in 2019 in gratitude of which the Ziff Ballet Opera House theater is currently named the Dorothea Green Theater.

At the April 26 ceremony, Ontiveros was presented with an upholstered, pine-and-plywood chair – a physical representation of the Endowed Chair distinction. The chair was designed by Miami-based artists Diana Eusebio and Daniel Ochoa who took inspiration from Ontiveros’ Mexican and Peruvian roots as well as the invaluable guidance and support he received from women throughout his life and career.

ABOUT THE GREEN FAMILY FOUNDATION TRUST

Steven J. Green, former United States Ambassador to Singapore, and his wife, Dorothea, established the Green Family Foundation Trust in 1991 to support social programs, which include HIV/AIDS prevention and education, access to the arts, youth and education, homeless assistance, disaster relief and community outreach. The Green Family Foundation Trust (GFFT) is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to supporting social programs that positively impact global health and alleviate poverty. The Green Family Foundation Trust’s mission is to make a positive and meaningful impact in communities both at home and abroad. They provide funding and resources to organizations that support education, global health and community development. GFFT empowers under-served communities to fight the cycle of extreme poverty, leading to sustainable programs that improve lives. GFFT supports grassroots initiatives that provide quality care to those in need by focusing on prevention, education and treatment. The foundation empowers communities through grants that enable progressive organizations to help build self-reliance. Today, Dr. Kimberly Green, president, continues to advance her family’s vision.  Dr. Green also serves on the Arsht Center Foundation Board and as chair of the $50M Arsht Center Endowment Campaign Committee.

ABOUT THE ARSHT CENTER’S EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMS

The Arsht Center offers 12+ signature education programs and free arts opportunities to more than 80,000 students across South Florida each year and another 12 programs committed to community engagement and deepening the experience for all Miami-Dade County residents. These include The Busy Bees’ Great Adventure, the latest installment of the Arsht Center’s Learning Through the Arts program, a partnership with Miami-Dade County Public Schools that uses live theatrical performances as the primary path for learning traditional subjects. Learn more about education at the Arsht Center here. Signature community engagement programs include Family Fest, Free Gospel Sundays, our CommuniTea LGBTQ+ celebration, Heritage Fest and AileyCamp Miami, among many others. Learn more about Arsht Center’s community engagement programs here.

The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County is made possible by the public support of the Miami-Dade County Mayor and the Board of County Commissioners, the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Tourist Development Council and the City of Miami Omni Community Redevelopment Agency, as well as the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Arts and Culture and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture. The Adrienne Arsht Center also receives generous support from individuals, corporations and local, state and national foundations.

###
AboutUs

Set in the heart of downtown Miami, the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County is committed to welcoming and connecting ALL people to the arts, to the Arsht Center and to each other. Our stages are alive year-round with artists from around the world, innovative programming from our resident companies and local arts partners, free community events that reflect Miami’s unique identity and arts education experiences for thousands of Miami children each year.

Since opening in 2006, the Arsht Center, a 501C3 non-profit organization, has been recognized as a catalyst for billions of dollars in new development in the downtown area, a leader in programming that mirrors South Florida’s diversity, a host venue for historic events and Miami’s hub for arts education.

Each year, we serve more than 80,000 young learners and offer more than 100 culturally diverse and inclusive education programs — many enhanced by the Arsht Center’s relationship with Miami-Dade County Public Schools, local teaching artists and Miami-based arts organizations.

The Arsht Center is also a home stage for three resident companies — Florida Grand Opera, Miami City Ballet and New World Symphony — and a launch pad for local artists to make their mark on the international stage. Our 300+ events each year include the Center’s Signature Series of classical, jazz, Broadway, local theater and much more. We present a robust series of touring Broadway musicals direct from New York, the largest jazz series in South Florida, a major annual Flamenco Festival and an award-winning Miami-based theater program. In addition, our Family Fest, Free Gospel Sundays, CommuniTea LGBTQ+ celebration and Heritage Fest are among dozens of free events that bring together people from all corners of our community. For more information, visit arshtcenter.org.