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2025 President's Gala
The President's Gala - April 22, 2025
Benefiting the UCM School of Visual and Performing Arts
Recorded at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts
Guest Artist - Jan Kraybill
The University of Central Missouri’s 16th president, Roger J. Best, Ph.D., is reviving UCM’s President’s Gala as an avenue to celebrate student, faculty and alumni collaboration while raising needed funds to extend the educational benefits of the School of Visual and Performing Arts.
This one-time event will showcase students’ work from each of the school’s three areas of study: Art & Design, Music, and Theatre & Dance. The gala's theme this year is "Illumination." Your patronage will illuminate the lives of our students, while also inspiring more patrons of the arts.
The special event will showcase music, theater, dance and visual arts – both separately and in unison – throughout the performance. Our guest artist is one of Kansas City’s most accomplished performers: Jan Kraybill, the Grammy-nominated conservator of the Julia Irene Kauffman Casavant pipe organ in Helzberg Hall. Kraybill will perform several works with our students and faculty on this internationally renowned instrument.
How to Watch
The performance will take place at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts in the beautiful Helzberg Hall and Brandmeyer Great Hall. It will also be livestreamed on the School of Performing Arts' YouTube channel.
Please direct any questions to Pat Smithson at psmithson@ucmo.edu or 660-543-4263.
Sponsorship Information
As funding for higher education grows more scarce, the responsibility to preserve and enhance students’ exploration within their areas of study has shifted to the private sector. UCM now relies more than ever on the generosity of donors who are passionate about the arts to support the future of the university, its students and its alumni. We appreciate the support of our committee chairs, Tim Van Zandt, '85, Chris Beal, and Kevin, '82, and Jeanette Prenger.
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Thank you to our generous sponsors!
