Stars shine brightly at MCC gala

More than 425 people attended MCC's second annual Five Star Gala on Thursday, raising tens of thousands of dollars for scholarships, academic coaching, emergency book funds and special projects.

The event, held at the Kansas City Marriott Downtown-Muehlebach Tower, honored the Francis Family Foundation with the Five Star Award.

Known throughout the region for its commitment to creating brighter futures for all generations, the Francis Family Foundation has been a pioneer in education for young children, emphasizing the importance of moving beyond

Last chance to buy gala tickets

With MCC's second annual Five Star Gala right around the corner, seats are filling up fast. Don't forget to visit the gala web site to buy your tickets.

The gala, themed Creating Bright Futures, will honor the Francis Family Foundation for their commitment to early childhood education and their support of MCC. Gala co-chairs David Disney, Kathy Disney and Carolyn Watley cordially invite MCC employees to attend. Proceeds from the fundraising event benefit MCC students through scholarships, academic coaching, emergency book funds and special projects throughout MCC’s five campuses.

MCC Five Star Gala
Thursday, March 31
5:30 reception, 6:30 dinner and program
Downtown Marriott Hotel - Muehlebach Tower
MCC employee tickets ~ $100
MCC alumni and retiree tickets ~ $125
Regular tickets ~ $250

For additional information or to order tickets, visit the Five Star Gala website.

Artist to gift sculpture at gala

When representatives from the Francis Family Foundation are awarded MCC’s highest honor at this month’s Five Star Gala, they won’t be presented with a run-of-the-mill trophy or plaque; they will receive a one-of-a-kind work of art.

Kansas City artist E. Spencer Schubert has crafted a unique sculpture to be given as this year’s Five Star Award, a tradition that carries over from last year’s inaugural gala when renowned artist Rita Blitt crafted a metal sculpture to honor Henry Bloch and the Bloch Scholars program.

“With such an array of talented artists in Kansas City–many with a connection to MCC–we saw a unique opportunity to showcase that talent while providing our Five Star honorees with a truly one-of-a-kind token of our appreciation,” said Jackie Snyder, MCC chancellor emeritus, who, together with Foundation Director Vince Anch, hatched the idea to highlight local art in this way.

And this year, the artist and the honoree have a special connection that adds even more meaning to the sculptor's gift: Schubert himself has benefitted from the Francis Family Foundation’s benevolence. He is a graduate of the Arts Incubator, a local business incubator for artists that is partially funded by the foundation. Schubert says he is honored to give back to the organization through the gift of this original sculpture, which is based on the logo of the Francis Institute for Child and Youth Development that the Francis Family Foundation co-founded at MCC-Penn Valley.
Schubert holds a bachelor of fine arts degree in sculpture from the University of Kansas, where he launched an exhibition schedule that has taken him throughout the Midwest. Recent exhibitions include:

• Yankton River Walk, Public Art Exhibition; Yankton, South Dakota (2011)
• Art in R Park, Public Art Exhibition; Roeland Park, Kansas (2010)
• 64 Arts National Juried Exhibition, Buchanan Center For The Arts; Monmouth, Illinois (2010)
• Fall Group Show, Leopold Gallery; Kansas City, Missouri (2009)
• Solo exhibition, Goppert Gallery, University of St. Mary; Leavenworth, Kansas (2009)
• Small Works, Cocoon Gallery; Kansas City, Missouri (2008)
• Solo exhibition: avoidance, Plenum Space; Kansas City, Missouri (2008)

In addition to his fine-art sculpture work, Schubert owns E.S. Schubert Commercial Sculpture Studios, a 3-D fabrication studio in Kansas City’s West Bottoms industrial district. He has served as a guest lecturer for the sculpture program at his alma mater, KU, and has led workshops and panels on a number of arts-related topics. He has won several awards, including the 2008 ArtsKC Fund Inspiration Grant from the Metropolitan Arts Council of Kansas City.

To see a sample of Schubert’s work, join us for the 2011 Five Star Gala, where his original sculpture will be unveiled and presented to the Francis Family Foundation. Regularly priced tickets are $250 each and reduced-price tickets for employees are $100. The event, on Thursday, March 31, will be held at the Kansas City Marriott Downtown–Muehlebach Tower. For more information about the gala or to purchase tickets visit the Five Star Gala web site.

Honoree, Chairs, Theme announced for 2nd annual gala

In preparation for the second annual Five Star Gala to be held this spring, the MCC Foundation has announced the event’s honoree, chairpersons and theme.

The gala’s theme, Creating Bright Futures, is a nod to the commitment and passion of the honoree organization--the Francis Family Foundation, the event chairpersons--David Disney, Kathy Disney and Carolyn Watley, and MCC.

The Francis Family Foundation has contributed more than $20 million to MCC and is the namesake for the Francis Institute at MCC-Penn Valley. Recognized nationally for its commitment to pioneering advances in child care and early childhood development, the Francis Family Foundation has been particularly supportive of MCC’s work to provide high-quality training and education for aspiring childcare providers.

David and Kathy Disney served as co-chairs for the inaugural gala in 2010, along with Jackie Snyder, and will serve in the same capacity this year, along with Carolyn Watley. David, who is senior vice president at J.E. Dunn Construction Company, is president of the MCC board of trustees and has served on the board since 2000. Kathy, who is a professional photographer, is a strong advocate for education and youth in our community. Carolyn, who is president of CBIZ, serves on the MCC Foundation board of directors.

MCC employees are cordially invited to attend the gala, which will be held Thursday, March 31, at the downtown Marriott Hotel’s Meuhlebach Tower. Employee tickets are available for the discounted price of $100 per person, which is less than half of the regular ticket price of $250 per person. MCC alumni and retirees may purchase tickets for $125 each. Proceeds from the event go to student scholarships, academic coaching, emergency book funds and special MCC projects.

For additional information about the event or to order tickets, visit the Five Star Gala website.