Springfield Arts Collaborative Chairman Carl Price, Rosalie O’Reilly Wooten and collaborative Executive Vice President Scott Giffen stand in front of a plaque representing the O'Reilly family's roots at The Creamery Arts Center building.
Photo provided by SPRINGFIELD ARTS COLLABORATIVE
O'Reilly donates $1.4M to the arts
SBJ Staff
Posted online
During a commemorative ceremony for O'Reilly Automotive Inc. yesterday at The Creamery Arts Center, the O'Reilly family announced a donation of $1.4 million for an endowment benefitting Springfield arts organizations.
O'Reilly Automotive opened its first store and distribution center in 1957 in what is now The Creamery Arts Center building, 411 N. Sherman Parkway. The 35,000-square-foot arts center opened in 2002 and serves as the headquarters for nearly a dozen arts and cultural organizations, including the Springfield Regional Arts Council. During the ceremony yesterday, a plaque was hung recognizing the O'Reilly family's roots at the building, according to a news release.
The donation - made possible by Charlie and Mary Beth O’Reilly, Rosalie O’Reilly Wooten, Larry O’Reilly, David O’Reilly and Nancy O’Reilly - benefits a long-term endowment campaign for the Springfield Arts Collaborative, an organization formed to address sustainable arts funding.
The endowment is meant to sustain the Springfield Symphony, Springfield Ballet, Springfield Little Theatre, Springfield Regional Opera Lyric Theatre and the Springfield Regional Arts Council, along with existing funds for Arts in Education, the Landers Theatre and The Creamery Arts Center, according to the release.
“We are so fortunate to have a family like the O’Reillys, who built their success right here in Springfield and, in turn, have given so much back to the community through both their service and their financial support for a wide range of projects and institutions,” Springfield Arts Collaborative Chairman Carl Price said in the release.
The collaborative has committed to raising an additional $2 million during the next 18 months. Other contributions include a $500,000 donation from the Freelander family and $100,000 from the campaign's leadership committee. Randy Russell, who recently received the 2012 Humanitarian Award from the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce, donated his $3,000 cash prize to the campaign, the release said.[[In-content Ad]]
