CAMPUS PROGRAMS

Teddy Bears with Love

The Student Alumni Association is excited to announce its 26th annual Teddy Bears with Love Drive! This SAA tradition is managed by Fairfield University students who collect teddy bears to be donated to dozens of children's hospitals and charities nationwide. Thanks to the generosity of thousands of alumni, families, students, employees, and friends of Fairfield University, nearly 27,000 teddy bears (and stuffed animals) have been donated to dozens of children’s hospitals and charities not only in Connecticut, but across the country.

As a part of their efforts, Student Alumni Association members will collect bear donations at the Fairfield University Glee Club concert taking place at the Quick Center for the Arts on Saturday, December 7 at 2 p.m. We hope you will join us for this fabulous and festive concert, and consider bringing along a new teddy bear or stuffed animal that will be collected in our lobby.

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ARTS FOR ALL

Announcing a new Arts for All Cohort Program

Through Arts for All, the Quick Center for the Arts is committed to ensuring that world-class arts experiences are available to K-12th grade students in under-resourced schools and community organizations. Over the last 10 years, the Quick has built a partnership with the Regional Center for the Arts (RCA) in Trumbull, a part-time, public interdistrict magnet high school for students interested in the performing arts, with students primarily coming from Bridgeport and Norwalk.

Thanks to the exceptional generosity of one of our Advisory Board members, the Quick is gearing up to launch a new three-year program with RCA, which will transform the way students are able to engage with professional artists and enable us to measure the impact of our arts education programming.

Students starting in 9th and 10th grade (15 students in each grade) will be invited to take part in the cohort from September 1, 2025, to June 30, 2028. Over this three-year period, the students will benefit from monthly opportunities to build skills as they work directly with professional musicians. Students in the cohort will benefit from mentorship opportunities with current Fairfield music students, as well as internships and performance opportunities at the Quick Center. A vital component of the program will be on college preparation, including how to use their participation in the Arts for All cohort in their college essays and resumes. Finally, funding will enable us to evaluate the impact of their participation in the program on their personal development and academic performance, shedding light on the tangible impact of arts education programming in the community.

Director of Programming and Operations Lori Jones shared, “as a young person who was lucky enough to experience live performing arts thanks to a father who was a band director, I have seen first-hand how important the arts can be in creating big thinkers and hard workers. When we started our partnership with RCA a decade ago, it was a no-brainer. Students from all over Fairfield County choose to be a part of the RCA community to feel most at home and connected to valuable learning experiences. Through this more-developed partnership, we will measure the impact of access to world-class musicians over a period of time and determine how that access shifts a young person’s decision-making process about their future. As part of Fairfield University, we will be able to offer students pathways to college and careers, not just as artists but as creative problem-solvers. We are incredibly grateful to donors who support the Quick Center’s work to ensure arts access is truly available to all in meaningful ways that make an impact.”

The program will begin in January 2025 with six months to build an assessment plan, select the artists and align the curriculum with the teachers at RCA, determine a rubric and definition for success with an assessment specialist, and test run two evening trips to Quick Center events and workshops.

To learn more or join in supporting this important Arts for All program, please email Director of Development for Fairfield Arts & Minds Marie-Laure Kugel.

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GIFT GIVING

Make the arts a part of your gift-giving tradition.

The holidays are here and we hope you are enjoying time with family and friends. As you make your final holiday purchases, we hope you will consider giving the gift of arts and culture with items from the Quick!

In addition to making a lifetime of memories with tickets to incredible performances and lectures, we also offer gift certificates for any amount that can be used towards future events, now available online.

And, if you’re looking for an environmentally friendly gift, the Quick now offers coffee and wine tumblers that are BPA Free and FDA certified. Purchase your tumbler for just $20 and you can bring it back for events and enjoy discounts on future Quick concession purchases.

Special Offer: Purchase $100 or more in gift certificates between now and December 13, 2024 and receive a free tumbler (valued at $20).

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HOLIDAY NEWS

Wishing you and yours a wonderful holiday season!

Campus will soon be much quieter as students rush home to spend time with family and friends over the winter break. There are still many events taking place at the Quick over the next two weeks before we take our own winter break. The box office will be closed December 21 – January 1. However, you can still purchase tickets and make donations 24/7 online.

Most importantly, we want to share our gratitude for your involvement and engagement in our fall season. We have been blown away by the level of excitement over the last few months of programs and look forward to that same enthusiasm in January as we welcome you back in the new year.

Thank you to our ticket buyers, sponsors, donors, and Quick Members for your on-going support. We are proud to serve as your home for incredible arts and culture experiences.

UPCOMING EVENTS