On the Town: Burbank Arts for All Foundation holds fundraiser

What could be better than being poolside in a beautiful twinkle-light-illuminated backyard, mingling with friends over cocktails, and listening to live music on a warm summer night? Perhaps, only one thing: doing all those things while raising funds for a wonderful cause.

That is just what happened as Chris and Suzanne Weerts opened their beautiful Rancho district home for a cocktail party fundraiser to support the Burbank Arts for All Foundation this past Friday evening.

The highlight of the evening was a performance by the musical duo Little Ghost, comprised of Glenn Oyabe and Jamie Butterworth, a local artist and foundation volunteer who was honored earlier this year as the organization’s 2014 “Champion of the Arts.”

Inspired by music from France, Ireland and Central America — and the vocal stylings of such artists as Gram Parsons, Emmylou Harris, the Everly Brothers and Julie London — Little Ghost provided the perfect melodic soundtrack for the evening that saw funds raised to help the foundation continue its mission of making sure every student in Burbank public schools receives a quality arts education as part of their core curriculum.

Along with Burbank City Councilwoman Emily Gabel-Luddy, Burbank Unified School Board President Roberta Reynolds, and Park, Recreation and Community Services Board Chairman Barry Gussow, the Weerts also served as hosts to Trena Pitchford, the foundation’s executive director, Carrie Brown, the foundation’s board chairman, and board members Karen Volpei and Ruth Davidson-Guerra and an assemblage of local film, stage, musical and visual artists.

Among the supporters in attendance were Scott Pitchford, Karen and Steve Apostolina, Gretchen Bingea, Will Campbell, Melissa McFarlane, Sherry and Shayne Beamer, Becky and John Bresee, Earl Brown, John Butterworth, Diana Callahan, Mary and Paul Cutone, Zahra Dowlatabadi, Karen Gibson, Jessica Good, Brian Volpei, Karen Hohman Alemida, Debbie Kalisz, Adonna Khare, Vicki Kirschenbaum, Aleksia and Nastazia Lukic, Donna Martley, John and Mare Mazue, Maria Paraszkay, Taia Perry-Kretz, David and Ana Lucia Prather, Ludonna Loney, Chris Rizzotti and Cathy and Ralph Stevens.

Founded in 2006, the Burbank Arts For All Foundation is a nonprofit organization and community-wide alliance of Burbank’s business leaders, municipal partners, educators, parents and art supporters.

Through its two annual grant cycles and community-building efforts, the foundation supports education programming in media, visual and performing arts for the more than 15,000 children in the Burbank Unified School District on an annual basis.

Last week’s event was a part of the organization’s Community Outreach Working Group program comprised of parents, teachers, artists and community stakeholders, who are aligned with the foundation’s mission and dedicated to educational, fundraising, outreach and volunteer engagement.

For more information about the work of the foundation, how to become a volunteer or supporter, or its upcoming second annual Secret Art Show that will be held at Burbank’s ATB Studios on Nov. 22, visit https://www.burbankartsforall.org.

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DAVID LAURELL may be reached by email at dlaurell@aol.com or (818) 563-1007.