*** Only six more days left to get the Tamora perk ***

*** $500 off of a seat dedication (Normally $1,500)! ***

Quick Links:

Ginny's Story
About the Facility
Helping the Community
How You Can Support The Ginny B
Information on Donation Levels
Thank You
FAQ's

Purpose

The Ginny B is about providing opportunity: Opportunity for artists to create in a safe, nurturing environment. Opportunity for different mediums and disciplines to collaborate and exchange ideas. Opportunity for the audience to encounter the art, the artist, and have a successful dialogue with them. Opportunity to get an artist the big break they've worked so hard for.  What exactly is The Ginny B? Great question! Here's our story!

A Light in the Dark

Virginia Bartholomew, "Ginny," as she was known to her friends and family, was a phenomenal actress and playwright based in NYC and had begun to spread her wings in the Off-Off Broadway world. I met her in the bitter cold winter of 2010 in Tribeca doing a rather lack-luster production of Macbeth wherein she played Lady M. Ginny's Scottish Queen was sublime, and I wanted to meet her, so after the matinee I invited her to lunch.

She was warm, caring, friendly, enthusiastic, genuine, and full of a grace seen rarely and only by those who're truly humble. There was a fire in her eyes that beheld a little mischief, a little angel, and a whole lot of personality. I knew from that moment that we would be creative partners in crime, and invited her to a full production of Macbeth with our Off-Off Broadway team, Redd Tale Theatre Company.

Creation

That season we did two shows in rep and Ginny played two lead characters. Not once did she falter nor complain about the line load. Virginia was dedicated to the craft, always brought her best, and worked with me as her director to create critically acclaimed performances in both shows. Ginny's work garnered her a New York Innovative Theatre Award Nomination (The Oscars of the Off-Off Broadway world) for Outstanding Actress in a Lead Role as Lady Macbeth. 

During that time Ginny was workshopping her one-woman piece Modern Prometheus: Frankenstein with Mary Shelley. The piece told the of story Frankenstein through the lenses of Mary Shelley, Victor Frankenstein, and the nameless Creation. I was so taken aback by how brilliant it was, I offered to put it up the next season. We spent the year working together and honed the piece. All of that hard work paid off once again, as Ginny won Best Adaptation for the United Solo Theatre Festival in 2012.

Insidious

What we didn't know, was that back in 2010, while she worked on her Lady M., the pain that started in her hip and began to worsen over the next two years was in fact a tumor. When it got too much to bear, she got it imaged by an orthopedist. From there she was immediately admitted to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in NYC where she was diagnosed with cancer that had started in her hip bone, muscles, and nerves, and would quickly spread to her major organs, and spine.

It was aggressive, so the doctors would be as well. It was to be one hell of a battle. I visited her several times at the hospital, and at home multiple times. The last time I saw her, she was in pain, but smiling, loving, and asked me how I was doing before I even had a chance to ask her. She fought hard, but in the end the cancer was too far advanced and she succumbed to the illness.

Virginia, Ginny, passed April 22, 2013 at 11:11am surrounded by her family.

Silence

About two weeks before she passed, her fiance, Jim Tolisano, was at home and her phone rang. He answered: It was her agent. She asked if she could speak with Virginia, and when asked why, she replied that Ginny had landed auditions for lead roles in three major motion pictures.

She'd made it.

Ginny was so close... SO close to hitting her big break. All that hard work, the hours sifting through the dailies, audition after audition, workshop after workshop... All of that work, only to be recognized too late.

Deep Breath

I spent months mourning, and as I did, one thought kept ticking over and over again in my mind: How can more opportunities be available for artists? What can be created so artists can be recognized earlier and avoid recreating Virginia's tragedy?

Whenever Ginny would find something that struck her creatively, or she experienced a moment of awe, she would breathe in, and revel in the inspiration. And that's when I got my inspiration, gleaned from her life, her work, her struggle... My Ginspiration: Create what is now known as - 

The Ginny B

Here's how it'll work:

The Ginny B will consist of two main buildings that will be created from scratch. Yes, you read that right, two new buildings, from scratch. They are The Ginny B Arts Centre and The Residences @ The Ginny B. They'll be on the same grounds, and accessible by a short walk. Each are three stories tall,  over 15,000 sq. ft., and dedicated to supporting artists, audience, and community. These mock-ups are based off of feasibility designs from our architect who specializes in shipping container buildings (the grey blocks on the sides of the building).

Art

The Ginny B Arts Centre is designed to bring people back again and again through new exhibits, performances, our Young Artists Program, and events on a regular rotating schedule. The first floor entry way brings you into our Cafe/Lobby. There, artists and audience will have the opportunity to sit face to face, interact, collaborate, and network freely.

Through the lobby you enter the Auditorium which houses retractable theatrical seating so that the floor is accessible to rent out for events or large gatherings. At the back wall is the proscenium of The Stage, a versatile 40 foot wide, 30 foot deep, and 20 foot tall beauty that can easily house concerts and performances, and features a removable projection screen for film showings! Walk up the ramps to the Balcony where The Ginny B can house smaller events or gatherings and have changeable seating for The Stage events. Then, you ascend to the third floor: The Galleries.

The Galleries will house nine artists at once; Eight for the Artist In Residence Program, and one central one for a larger installation of a popular current artist. The back of the galleries leads to the roof of The Stage, which will be an outdoor sculpture garden/retreat to bring a coffee and enjoy the fresh Seattle air.

Life

The Residences @ The Ginny B is similar in structure, but diverges as soon as you enter the building. The first floor is The Laboratory: six spaces of varying size, from a simple 10'x10' room for small meetings or rehearsals, to a 40'x30' performance hall for workshopping new pieces. There is a state of the art recording studio on hand so that musicians can lay down an album and a film editing studio for budding directors and actors to create!

The second and third floors are built exactly the same, accessible via private entry, with dual purposes: The second floor is for our Artist In Residence Program. The third floor is dedicated to a year-long Artists Housing Program, where we invite eight artists to stay at The Ginny B in our low-cost housing. They will pay a reduced rent to The Ginny B, and have access to our facilities and perks for a whole year. On top of all of that is a 5,000 sq. foot roof top deck that will be solar paneled.

Community

The Ginny B believes that in order to succeed, it will need the support of the local community, and promises to give back to them in return. In the spirit of radical inclusiveness, The Ginny B will create two main outreach programs to be of service to the community it settles in.

Young Artist Program

The Ginny B’s mission is to give back to the community with free education in the arts. The program is three months long, and each art form will consist of two weekend-long classes (eight hours per day) with 30 students each. The six divisions of the Young Artist Program are:

Art
Music
Literature
Theatre
Dance
Film/Visual Media

The Young Artists Program will service low-income and impoverished communities that have little to no access to art programs. The students will be given a free three-month arts education at The Ginny B, and will work with teachers to create pieces of art from each of these mediums. Topics covered include: History, Iconic Artists, Cultural Influences, World Wide Studies, and Modern Day Examples. In addition, the students will be invited to one event for free held during the given art taught. Week one will take them to the galleries to interact with the Artists in Residence recipients. Week two the students will be invited to a concert night of jazz or open mic, and so on, through out their education.

The Young Artists Program is asking for $200,000 per art medium to fund students for five years. This will cover the tuition for 120 students per year, the fee for three teachers per art medium, materials, cost of each event, and space rental. Each student is selected by a lottery of submissions, and can only attend once.

PFLAG

In addition to supporting the arts, The Ginny B will also dedicate a weekly space and create its own PFLAG (Parents and Friends of Lesbians And Gays) Chapter. As important as it is to provide a safe place for art to be created, this organization also believes it is just as important to foster and support the LGBTQ community, with many going on to create amazing pieces of art. Any and all are welcome at the PFLAG events who support those in attendance.

Cancer Research

The Ginny B also pledges a percentage of our ticket sales to Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle to help fund their endeavors to find a cure!

Support

Since every cent donated goes directly into creating The Ginny B, lets show you how our Fundraising Goals break down:

The first milestone, $250,000, will hire the core staff for The Ginny B to begin seeking larger donations from corporations, grant and foundational monies, while also establishing direct relationships with the community. At this most fundamental level, The Ginny B anticipates getting the actual facilities built within three to five years. That's why this organization is aiming for the next milestone: $500,000.

At $500,000, The Ginny B will be able to parse out monies into three groups: The Infrastructure Fund will be able to hire a few more staff for the core administrative group thus allowing for the potential of more funds coming in. The Facility Fund will be responsible for putting down 20% on a New Construction Loan to build the first, and most important, building, The Ginny B Arts Centre. Finally, the Future Fund will allow the organization to create its first productions, hold opening galas and fundraisers in the building, and work toward building the residences!

The Ginny B's third milestone, $1,000,000 will take the organization much much further. Not only will it cover the hiring of full time staff, but also put down a larger dollar amount toward a New Construction Loan and build both structures, while also setting aside a larger portion toward the Future Fund and kick off the opening of The Ginny B with gusto!

Lastly, the biggest, and best milestone, $5,000,000, will fund the entire project! Right out of the gate $2,000,000 will be put toward construction costs and avoid using a loan (therefore making the cost of building cheaper). Staffing will be funded through the first year, creating the administration that will take The Ginny B through to the next level. The Artist in Residence Program will be fully paid for their first year of operation. And, lastly, put $1,750,000 aside to keep the community programs running for their first two years!

Donation Levels

The Ginny B's goal is to partner with individual donors, foundations, and corporate sponsorships to fund this massive project.

Each perk benefits The Ginny B, with some having the opportunity to personally name parts of the building with your generous donation. Ranging from simple items such as tickets to shows, to dedicating a chair in the auditorium to a friend, all the way up to sponsoring the whole Artists in Residence Program and everything in between! Because this organization will need the support of the community, each piece of the building will belong, in name, to them. The Ginny B will be a shining example of how collaboration of arts and community can create a lasting organization with a world-wide vision. Here is a list of items for purchase, and their sponsor level:

With each donation you will also receive a Supporter Level, and they entitle you to some pretty amazing perks! Check them out below!

Supporter Perks:

Bronze Level–

• Thank you’s in our programs for one year, online indefinitely.

Silver Level–

• Bronze perks plus:
• Two free drinks from the bar when attending a show
• Private backstage tour with the technical director for two
• All the above for one season
  

Gold Level–

• All lower perks plus:
• Sitting in on the first table read of each show
• Attend the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for Ground Breaking and Opening dates
• Two Season Tickets to Opening Night Performances of all theatre shows
  
• Attend Pre and Post Opening Night Catered Galas for all theatre shows for two
• One private tour of the workshop while artists are creating
• All of the above for two seasons
  

Platinum Level–

• All lower perks plus:
• Two Season Tickets to Closing Night Performances for all theatre shows
• Attending Pre and Post Closing Night Galas for all theatre shows for two
• Two Tickets to all other events (concerts, films, gallery openings)
• Four Tickets to Director’s Luncheon (Exclusive Catered event)
• Four Tickets to Artist’s Luncheon (Exclusive Catered event)
• All of the above for five seasons
  

Exclusivity and Visibility are key here. With high turn over of visitors to The Ginny B, corporate sponsorship will pay itself back quickly. The Ginny B welcomes their support and aims to pair with local companies as well as major foundations and corporations nationally and internationally to help make this dream happen!

***In case IndieGogo will not allow you to donate above a certain level, fear not, The Ginny B has you covered! Email us at donations@theginnyb.org to set you up with other payment options!***

Corporate Matching

Does your company do corporate matching for registered nonprofits? If so, please email us at donations@theginnyb.org and let us know! We can help you fill out the paper work and double your donation!

In Closing

The Ginny B, its staff, and its supporters, are willing to push as hard as they can to get this vision off the ground and into the art world. This organization is dedicated to supporting the life of an artist, help them learn, grow, and succeed, while also making solid connections within the community to ensure that the arts is a dialogue, not an isolated experience. The help that you can give through your generous support will bring The Ginny B that much closer to realizing that vision.

Thank you!

Those of us here at The Ginny B are humbled and honored to begin this journey, and are dedicated to creating this vision to the end. Please donate where you can and are able, then spread the word along to your friends! Make sure to join the upcoming 30-day Ginspiration Challenge starting on March 20th, and be sure to sign up for our newsletter by sending your email to info@theginnyb.org to stay up to date!

Thank you for your time, your energy, and your support!

Sincerely, Will Le Vasseur
Executive Director
The Ginny B

FAQ's:

Q: How can I stay in touch and stay up-to-date?
A: Sign up for our newsletter by emailing us at info@theginnyb.org

Q: What is the Artist in Residence Program?
A: Each month, The Ginny B will choose, via an application process, eight artists for a residency. They will be paid a commission and invited to stay at The Ginny B for four weeks. The first three weeks is their creation phase, where they will create a minimum of five pieces of art of their chosen medium. Then in week four, their works will be put up into The Galleries with a beautiful gala opening. For a whole week, the artist will interact with their audience face to face and reestablish the connection between artist and audience. Four new artists will begin their creative journey every two weeks, and each artist will have their work in-show and available for purchase for a full month.
Return to reading

Q: What if I want to donate more than IndieGogo will allow?
A: Email our Donations Department directly donations@theginnyb.org and we'll take good care of you!

Q: I've donated, where's my tax-deductible receipt?
A: When you donate, you'll get a letter from the hosting company with your donation level. As they have confirmed that we are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, that is your tax-deductible receipt!

Q: Young Artists Program?
A: In addition to our Artists in Residence program, The Ginny B will also be creating six Young Artists Programs from these art forms: Music, Dance, Theatre, Writing, Art, Film. The Ginny B believes that art programs should be free, and is seeking funding for each of the six so the students do not have to pay.
Return to Reading

Q: So what happens if you don't get the $250,000 amount you're going for?
A: We'll hire only essential staffing (grant writer and fundraiser) till we reach our goal, then continue to expand from there.

Q: 30-Day Ginspiration Challenge?
A: 30-Day Ginspiration Challenge! The Ginny B has invited artists from around the world to contribute an artistic challenge to the supporters of this organization! You're invited to watch the video, then create something based off of what the presenter gives you for inspiration!
Return to Reading