bergenPAC Gallery Naming Honors Long-Time Supporter
The newly updated and beautifully illuminated Sandy Bennett Art Gallery at Bergen Performing Arts Center, located on the second floor of bergenPAC at 30 N Van Brunt Street in Englewood, NJ was the scene of an elegant cocktail reception and ceremony Wednesday to celebrate its new name.
The Intermezzo Art Gallery at bergenPAC was permanently re-named the Sandy Bennett Art Gallery in honor and memory of long-time devotee Sandy Bennett, who worked at and supported the theater since its founding in 2003. Bennett recently passed away after many loyal years of service to the non-profit performing arts center.
"We are proud to honor Sandy’s memory in this way because she was at the forefront for keeping the jewel that is bergenPAC in downtown Englewood thriving," said founder of bergenPAC and Mayor Frank Huttle III. “Her name will live on at bergenPAC for generations to come.”
The new Sandy Bennett Art Gallery is aptly named as Bennett’s passion as an artist came to the forefront while coordinating artists to exhibit there monthly since bergenPAC’s inception. Bennett relished her role of bringing the fine arts to bergenPAC and particularly enjoyed working with the artists to celebrate their work at the venue.
Bennett’s ties to bergenPAC run deep. Her son Dae Bennett recorded Grammy-winning albums at the former Bennett Studio, now the Performing Arts School at bergenPAC and she was also the Database and Office Manager at bergenPAC for her entire tenure.
Friends and family, as well as distinguished guests, honored Bennett with displayed photos of Bennett and a newly created plaque to memorialize the evening. The evening included the presentation of a proclamation by Assemblywoman Valerie Vainieri Huttle and the City of Englewood to honor Bennett’s contribution to bergenPAC. “Sandy’s invaluable passion for the arts is not only recognized in our community here in Bergen County but well beyond throughout our state.”
The guests were treated to a beautiful and emotionally poignant rendition of The Beatles’ Let It Be, a fan favorite of Bennett’s, by bergenPAC Board of Trustees Member Kelli Rabke Agresta.
“It was an honor and pleasure to have had the benefit of Sandy’s expertise both in the performing and fine arts worlds,” said Dominic Roncace, bergenPAC CEO. “Sandy had a keen eye for artistic talent and a wonderful connection to the artists that exhibited at bergenPAC’s gallery. She will be greatly missed.”
The gallery is dedicated to affording local artists of all ages an opportunity to exhibit their work with a new artist each month of the year. Art work displayed in the gallery is available free to the general public during box office hours and to patrons of scheduled performances. All art work is for sale and a portion of the proceeds go to support bergenPAC. The gallery is accepting applications to exhibit art in 2017. For more information visit www.bergenpac.org/gallery or contact kcraig@bergenpac.org.
About bergenPAC
Founded in 2003, the 1,367-seat Bergen Performing Arts Center, or bergenPAC, is the area’s cultural mecca. Housed in a historic Art Deco-style theater boasting one of the finest acoustic halls in the United States, bergenPAC attracts a stellar roster of world-class entertainment. The jewel in our crown is The Performing Arts School at bergenPAC – the innovative, educational performing arts initiative that, through programs, classes, outreach, school shows, and main theater presented shows, reach more than 30,000 students and community youth annually. The Performing Arts School provides community youth, age 2 months to 21 years, with unique, “hands-on” training in music, dance and theater by industry professionals. It is through the ongoing generosity of sponsors, donors, members, and patrons that the not-for-profit 501 (c)(3) corporation bergenPAC and The Performing Arts School are able to thrive and enrich our community.
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