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April 15, 2008
Five Emerging Artists Receive Shenson Performing Arts Fellowships From The San Francisco Foundation
(SAN FRANCISCO) – Tuesday, April 15, 2008 – Sandra R. Hernández, M.D., CEO, and Tatwina Lee, Chair of the Board of Trustees, announced today the five recipients of the second Shenson Performing Arts Fellowships. These awards seek to invest in the next generation of Bay Area performing artists, and provide $5,000 to assist with their professional advancement.
The Fellows all exhibit artistic merit and were selected for their potential for future excellence and impact in his or her performing arts discipline. The 2007-2008 Fellows are:
- Dancer David Harvey with Alonzo King’s LINES Ballet
- Actor Nicholas Pelczar with American Conservatory Theater
- Opera singer Daveda Karanas with Merola Opera Program
- Vocalist Eleazar Rodriguez with San Francisco Conservatory of Music
- Spoken word artist Jose Vadi with Youth Speaks
“The Doctors Shenson were passionate about encouraging pre-professional students in the performing arts. Our hope is that their memory will be carried on by these exemplary young artists who are impacting their performing arts disciplines. We want to reward these artists for their successes thus far, and inspire them to continue to strive for excellence,” said Fred Levin, cousin of Doctors Ben and A. Jess Shenson, who started the Shenson Foundation at The San Francisco Foundation. Fred and his wife, Nancy Livingston, are the second generation of stewards of the Shenson Foundation.
The Shenson Performing Arts Fellowships are one of 11 awards given to individual artists in the Bay Area by The San Francisco Foundation. Nominations for this Fellowship were invited from a group of 18 Bay Area arts organizations that have excellent professional-track performing arts training programs.
The San Francisco Foundation (TSFF) is the community foundation serving the Bay Area since 1948 with current assets of more than $1 billion. Through the generosity and vision of our family of donors, TSFF awarded grants totaling $89 million in fiscal year 2007. Bringing together donors and building on community assets through grantmaking, leveraging, public policy, advocacy, and leadership development, TSFF addresses community needs in the areas of community health, education, arts and culture, community development, social justice, and the environment. The San Francisco Foundation is a community foundation serving San Francisco, Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, and San Mateo Counties.