The Center for the Arts overlooking Mason Pond is the annual event space for the College of Visual and Performing Arts’ ARTS by George! fundraising event, pictured Oct. 2. (Evan Parfitt / Fourth Estate)
Jeff Goldblum and 250 students set to perform during the performing arts fundraiser
BY EVAN PARFITT, COPY EDITOR
Ahead of the 21st annual ARTS by George! benefit tomorrow, staff, students and Mason Arts Board members of the College of Visual and Performing Arts are preparing for a self-proclaimed “evening like no other” at Mason’s Center for the Arts.
Started by long-time donor Carolyn Peterson in 2006, the benefit has been the college’s flagship event for raising scholarship money for students, with about 30% of all scholarships granted in 2025 coming from ARTS by George! proceeds.
ARTS by George! stands out with not only its student showcases, but also its headliner performances.
This year’s headliner is Jeff Goldblum of “Jurassic Park” fame, who will perform alongside the Mildred Snitzer Orchestra and three jazz students. The college’s Director of Programming, Adrienne Bryant Godwin, works directly with deciding who headlines the event.
“We always want someone who has a high profile that gets both patrons and students excited,” Godwin said.
Although Goldblum is known mainly for his work in film and television, he also has a successful musical career, releasing his first studio album in 2018 with “The Capitol Studios Sessions.”
However, due to the high profile of these performers, the event’s scheduled date was pushed back from its usual September spot. Godwin explained how due to the artist’s busy schedule, this year’s benefit was pushed back to an October date instead of its usual September date.
From the seven academic programs the CVPA has to offer and over 250 students performing throughout the night, each room of the Center for the Arts is meticulously organized beforehand.
Development Event and Operations Manager Emily Rusch, who handles the logistics of ARTS by George! and other performing arts fundraisers, began work on the event as soon as the previous year’s benefit was over. With Goldblum headlining, it has presented new roadblocks to tackle.
“He’s a different level of star … so that’s really a very interesting element because our past many, many years have been Broadway stars,” she said. “So that makes for a different feeling and a different level of excitement.”
An event on the scale of ARTS by George! takes a village, with collaboration happening between all the departments of the College of Visual and Performing Arts. Although not always expected from the artist, their willingness to collaborate with the students themselves in their craft goes a long way.
“Because of the nature of the event, we want artists that are willing to interact with our students,” Godwin said. “In Jeff’s case, we are having 50 students that are able to attend his soundtrack … then we’re also having three jazz students that are going to be playing a piece in the program with him.”
Beyond just big names to capture an audience, the event’s purpose remains at the forefront. Former Chair of the Mason Arts Board, Victoria Salmon, emphasized the importance of these fundraisers for raising scholarship money, but moreover the role of organizers in helping the event succeed. Although the Mason Arts Board does not directly oversee the fundraising event, the board members still support the event, from serving as financial sponsors to bringing guests themselves, according to Salmon.
This year’s benefit is already projected to surpass the more than $290,000 raised in support of 2025’s benefit. These funds are split equally between the seven academic units in the College of Visual and Performing Arts as well as the Mason Community Arts Academy, according to the college’s Senior Development Director, Susan Graziano.
“The funds that we raise are for scholarships for students,” Graziano said. “Last year it was over $17,000 per unit.”
“This year we’re doing really well with fundraising; our goal is $325,000, and we’re just about [at] $300,000.”
Chair of the Mason Arts Board Marilyn Smith believes the success of the event does not just rely on scholarships or the stars, but the students themselves.
“Success is the more people that attend it, the more awareness there is about these incredible students and incredible talent at Mason,” she said. “I think people often attend for Jeff Goldblum and the big show, but the value is not in the final show … the value is in just watching the students and them being so thrilled by all these people coming to see them.”
“Some of them are freshmen and have only been here for a month.”
Ticket sales and spectators are not the only ways patrons are able to support students. During the evening’s preshow benefit, sponsors participate in the “Student Scholarship Paddle Raise,” accompanied by a special guest performer. Graziano explained how quickly even the smallest bids can add up, as last year’s bids raised $50,000 in about six minutes.
“There will be a performance by Adelina Mitchell … she’ll inspire the audience [about] why giving scholarships is important, she was a student herself,” Graziano said.
At the heart of the event are the students themselves, and although most of the showcases will be exclusive to patrons, the feeling that ARTS by George! fosters is fundamental, according to Salmon.
“I want the students who are performing or working that evening to have that introduction to that appreciation from audiences,” Salmon said. “That they feel ‘Oh, these ARTS by George! attendees like me, they like my work,’ and I think that’s very important for student artists to feel to sort of push them forward.”
Other signature events offered by the College of Visual and Performing Arts include the School of Dance’s Dance Fete and the Anniversary Gala hosted at the Hylton Performing Arts Center.
