Oregon Shakespeare Festival

$5 Mil Gift Boosts Artistic Opportunity Fund

The Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF) in Ashland has received a $5 million gift from Roberta and David Elliott to endow the Festival's Artistic Opportunity Fund (AOF). The AOF, which allows the Festival to pursue significant artistic opportunities was initiated in 2008 thanks to the combined generosity of Roberta Elliott and fellow board member Louise Gund.”

“There is no doubt that OSF's extraordinary artistic success in the last eight years is directly related to their expansively generous vision and their faith in our company," OSF Artistic Director Bill Rauch said in a press release. "By launching an endowment of the Artistic Opportunity Fund this year, the Elliotts are helping to ensure OSF's continued ability to innovate and move audiences in perpetuity.”

The $5 million gift, the second largest individual donation the Festival has ever received, continues the Elliotts' long history of generous support, including gifts that were essential to the creation of the Hay-Patton Rehearsal Center and construction of the Thomas Theatre. Roberta Elliott is an emeritus member of the OSF Board of Directors, having served on the board from 2004 to 2012.

"The Artistic Opportunity Fund supports the OSF artistic team with funds to take advantage of special creative opportunities as they may arise," the Elliotts said in the release. "We are happy to make this endowment gift that will help the Artistic Opportunity Fund continue on into the future."

November 16, 2016

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