KENNESAW, Ga. | Oct 19, 2025

The Robert S. Geer Family College of the Arts at Kennesaw State University hosted its annual ArtsKSU Gala this weekend, celebrating creativity, community and the transformative power of philanthropy.

“Throughout the evening, you’ll see glimpses of what makes the Geer College so extraordinary,” said Arthur Liou, Deen of the Geer Colelge of the Arts. “These performances embody hundreds of hours of study, collaboration and hard work. Each piece is a testament to the students who have found their voice, their purpose and their community right here in our College.”
 
The event brought together university leaders, donors, faculty, alumni and patrons for an evening that raised essential funds for student scholarships and set the stage for the College’s bold next chapter: the creation of a new Arts District that will unite all of KSU’s arts disciplines on one campus.
 
All disciplines of the artistic community of the College found themselves to the mainstage throughout the extraordinary evening. Tap dancing, musical theatre, chamber singers, marimba and a montage of stunning digital animation left guests clambering to raise paddles to support further arts scholarships.

 
Celebrating the Heart of the Arts

“Every student success story begins with someone’s generosity,” Liou shared. “Each gift tonight helps our artists, performers, educators and designers pursue their calling with confidence, and reminds us that creativity thrives when community invests in it.”
 

The evening featured remarks from Evan Lohbrunner, a student majoring in music education and former gala scholarship recipient, who reflected on how donor support has shaped his college experience.

“Scholarships provide more than financial relief — they build networks of support that help students truly belong,” he said, noting his involvement in the American String Teachers Association, Phi Mu Alpha fraternity and the Alpharetta Symphony Orchestra. “Because of you, I can pursue my passion for teaching music, and one day I hope to inspire my students just as your generosity has inspired me.”
 
Philanthropy in Action
 
Geer College of the Arts Ambassador Trent Turk, a KSU benefactor and proud Southern Polytechnic graduate, spoke on behalf of the College’s donor community, offering a heartfelt reflection on discovering the arts through his and his wife LaSona’s involvement at KSU.

“To me, the arts are the cream of our existence,” Turk said. “Supporting them is not just a good thing to do; it’s a worthy and necessary cause that enriches all of us in our daily lives.” He encouraged guests to continue championing KSU’s artists and programs, calling the College of the Arts “a world-class arts program in the making.”
 
During the closing portion of the evening, Dean Liou honored a $500,000 new endowment gift from Jim and Ann Wallace to support Geer College of the Arts’ Department of Theatre and Performance Studies. Their generosity will fund programmatic support and contribute to a new rehearsal hall — an anchor facility in the future Arts District.
 
Casting Vision for the Arts District
 
The Gala also premiered a high-energy video introducing the vision for the KSU Arts District, a dynamic creative hub where students from every discipline — music, theatre, dance, art & design, and the museum — will learn, rehearse and create together. The Arts District project will go before the University System of Georgia Board of Regents in November for formal approval, but the momentum and excitement are already building.
 
“The Arts District is about creating a home for collaboration,” Liou noted. “It will transform how we teach, learn and engage — and will invite our community to experience the arts as a living, breathing part of KSU’s future.”
 
A Night of Impact
 
As performances, student showcases and auction excitement filled the evening, guests were reminded that every note, brushstroke and spotlight moment at KSU is made possible by generosity. 
 

The $188,329 raised at the Gala in addition to the $500,000 endowment for the theatre program will directly support scholarships for talented students pursuing degrees in the visual and performing arts, ensuring that creativity continues to thrive in Georgia and beyond.

 

Photography by Lauren Liz Kress