Charter Arts Foundation - Just another Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts Sites site

Charter Arts Foundation Board Members have been busy this fall with several fundraising activities in support of the foundation’s mission.  The Charter Arts Giving Circle held a November gathering at the National Museum of Industrial History in South Bethlehem.  A fun plate auction and community party, From Easel to Table, and the annual Sounds of the Season event were held in early December.  All of these initiatives serve as a way for the foundation to increase awareness and to raise funds that will help the final stage of its capital campaign that was created to build the Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts facility at 321 East 3rd Street which opened in 2015.  Funds raised by the Giving Circle will directly fund a need at the school.

Below:  The artistry and success of Charter Arts students and alumni was the focus of the Sounds of the Season event held in early December.  The Charter Arts Foundation hosts this event each year to share the foundation’s mission with community supporters.

On May 22nd, the Charter Arts Foundation’s Giving Circle held its final meeting of the 2017-2018 school year at Bethlehem House Gallery, and members announced the project that they will be funding this year.  The award went to the installation of a kitchen in the Charter Arts Commons Cafe.  The kitchen is a much-needed addition to the school.  The Giving Circle raised $24,500 for the project.

Charter Arts’ Executive Director, Diane LaBelle, received the Priscilla Payne Hurd award at the Bethlehem Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Meeting and Awards on Tuesday, May 8, 2018.   Check out photos in the July edition of the Bethlehem Chamber’s Connections Magazine.

Thank you to everyone who attended and supported our 15th Annual Gala of Dreams event on Friday, April 27th.  The event was held at the beautiful Musikfest Café at ArtsQuest.  This year’s presenting sponsor was PNC Bank.

The Charter Arts Big Band wowed the crowd as they entered the 15th Annual Gala of Dreams on April 27, 2018.

Thank you to everyone who attended and supported our Art of Wine benefit at Saucon Valley Country Club on March 24th.  The event was a great success!

In December, the Keystone Savings Foundation awarded the Charter Arts Foundation a $15,000 grant to support the Charter Arts Foundation’s capital campaign.

This grant was one of twelve grants awarded recently by the R.K Laros Foundation, established in 1952 by Laros Silk Mill founder and owner R. K. Laros and his wife Helen.

Above Photo (L-R):  Laura Bennett Shelton, Vice Chair R.K. Laros Foundation;  Larson Shelton, great grandson of R.K. Laros; Debra Storm, Charter Arts Director of Institutional Advancement;  and Robert Bilheimer, Trustee, R.K.Laros Foundation.

April 19,2016
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Governor Corbett and Mrs. Corbett pose for a picture at the project site with students, faculty and school administration.

Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett visited The Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts on October 7, to announce a $1 million Economic Growth Initiative grant awarded to Charter Arts for the construction of our new school facility.

Governor Corbett and Pennsylvania’s First Lady, Susan Corbett first visited the construction site of the new facility at Third & Polk Streets in south Bethlehem.

After their visit to the site, they returned to the school to tour the building and observe some after-school rehearsals.

A press conference then took place in the Black Box Theatre at 3:30pm.

Diane LaBelle, Executive Director, Mario Acerra, President of the Board of Directors, and Diane Wagner, Artistic Director of Theatre, all spoke at the press conference, sharing their appreciation for everyone who has made Charter Arts what it is today, the excitement for the move to the new facility and the appreciation for this special honor and day.

Junior theatre major, Lynsey Jeffery, sophomore visual art major, Bria Pickel and senior vocal major Calvin Hunter represented the student body at the site and on stage during the conference.  As Student Council Vice-President, Lynsey Jeffery also shared a comment on behalf of the student body expressing sincere thanks to everyone for making the dream of the new school facility a reality.

Charter Arts thanks Governor Corbett, Mrs. Corbett and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for this award and their support of the hard work and dedication that takes place here at Charter Arts each and every day.

Photos: Christmas City Studio

Can you imagine your name or the name in honor of a loved one permanently displayed around the new school and shared with the south Bethlehem community?  Read more about how you can become part of the living history of the new school.