Membership campaign opens for
UB Friends of Center for the Arts

By PAULA WITHERELL
Reporter Contributor

Two dedicated volunteers, Carole Evitts of Williamsville and Elayne G. Wels of Eggertsville, are directing a membership campaign for the new UB Friends of the Center for the Arts. The founding co-chairs of the organization, which began in November, will lead efforts to strengthen and promote the facility on the North Campus.

"As an arts administrator for over 20 years, I know how very valuable volunteers can be for an endeavor like the Center for the Arts," said Evitts, who also is a member of the Erie County Cultural Resources Advisory Council and board member of Just Buffalo Literary Center.

"Friends of the Center for the Arts will help the faculty, staff, students and community take full advantage of this extraordinary facility," she added. "Just getting people to the center to see what it has to offer is important."

Wels, a community-service volunteer for more than 44 years, says, "It is vitally important to bring together a diverse cross-section of the community and its resources to work together to enrich and touch all of Western New York in a very special way. Through Friends for the Center of the Arts, we are developing a group of individuals who have a deep commitment to the arts, the center, UB and Western New York."

Wels also is chairperson of the WNY Independent Living Center Advisory Board and an active volunteer at the Blind Association of Western New York.

UB Friends of the Center for the Arts will lead offers founding membership levels ranging from $10 for students to $1,000 for membership in the Center Circle. Founding members at the $500 Benefactor and $1,000 Center Circle levels can have a seat plaque with their name placed in the Drama Theatre or Mainstage or may be permanently recognized in the University Gallery. Membership benefits include special events, discounts and select seating.

UB Friends of the Center for the Arts is working closely with the center's management to strengthen its offerings. "We are planning events to bring together students, local residents, volunteers and staff," said Evitts. "We want to have a student representative on the board of the Friends of the Center for the Arts to keep the needs of UB students in the forefront and also to help students gain valuable experience."

The co-chairs anticipate that UB Friends of the Center for the Arts ultimately will work in collaboration with other local organizations to address issues regarding the arts in Western New York.

To volunteer for the membership campaign or to become a member of the Friends of the Center for the Arts, contact Evitts or Wels at 645-6776.

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