Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts

“Wallis annenberg and gregory annenberg weingarten (board members of the organization) have a family relationship.”

“The form 990 is prepared by an independent cpa and reviewed by the audit committee. Upon final approval, a copy is made available to the full board of directors before filing with the irs.”

“The wallis' conflict of interest policy is distributed to all board members at the first board meeting of the fiscal year. They return a signed acknowledgment stating they have received and understand the policy. During the year, if a conflict arises, the issue is brought to the attention of either the chairman or president. The issue is vetted by the executive committee, and a member of the committee is appointed to investigate alternatives to the proposed transaction or arrangement. After due diligence has been exercised, the committee will decide, through a majority vote, if the relationship will be entered into by the wallis.”

“The board reviews and approves new compensation offerings (including salary and benefits) and any changes to compensation for the organization's executive director and artistic director. In so doing, the board has done the following to ensure the compensation is reasonable: (1) review has been completed by an independent group, which includes board members (who receive no compensation from the organization); (2) the review uses relevant comparability data; and (3) compensation decisions are documented in official board meeting minutes.”

“Documents are made available upon request. Form 990 is also made available on guidestar.org. Financial statements and governing documents are available to executive staff, board members, and upon request from the general public. The organization will provide access to these documents as required by law.”

“The mission of the wallis annenberg center for the performing arts ("the wallis") is to create, present and celebrate unique performing arts events and education programs that reflect the rich cultural diversity of our community. Under the leadership of executive director & ceo rachel fine, the wallis brings audiences world-class theater, dance, music, and cinema, and a speaker series featuring many of the world's most talented and sought-after artists. Also offered are arts education and outreach programs that make the performing arts accessible to individuals of all ages and backgrounds. We seek to cultivate a home in the heart of beverly hills where all members of the southern california community can participate in the arts. Since opening its doors in 2013, the wallis has established itself as a major force within the southern california arts landscape. The wallis is a 70,000 square-foot campus that adjoins the historic 1933 beverly hills post office with the state-of-the-art, 500-seat bram goldsmith theater.”

“Core programs: our annual mainstage subscription season, which serves 60,000+ audience members from throughout southern california each year, features: theater: we produce plays and musicals, and present productions from theater companies in los angeles, elsewhere in the united states, and abroad. We also develop new works. Music: we present classical and modern chamber music, jazz, piano, and family concerts by master artists from around the world, as well as outstanding, emerging talent. Dance: our dance series features a prestigious roster of established and emerging dance companies, with an emphasis on los angeles-based companies, in addition to acclaimed national and international ensembles. Cinema: we launched film as part of our programming in 2018-19, in partnership with film independent and the los angeles film festival. Arts education: dedicated to fostering inclusion, arts participation and education within the los angeles community; "grow @ the wallis" is now among the most robust arts education programs in southern california, serving more than 10,000 students, teachers, adults, families and seniors each year through programs specifically designed to celebrate the diversity of our city. (1) our school partners program serves 5,000+ prekindergarten through twelfth grade students in underserved communities each year through weekday matinee performances, workshops for teachers, in-school sessions with wallis teaching artists, special events like our annual "careers in the arts day, and opportunities for students and parents to attend shows together. (2) we support the development of young artists ages 13-25 through our young artists program and the wallis studio ensemble, which help young adult theater artists transition into professional careers. (3) we collaborate with local organization the miracle project to offer ongoing theater programs and performance opportunities for young people with autism. (4) we use the arts to foster community and creativity through courses such as "dance sundays" (free, outdoor dance classes open to all community members, taught by wallis board member debbie allen and faculty from her debbie allen dance academy), and "dancing through parkinson's", for parkinson's disease patients and their caregivers, in partnership with invertigo dance theatre. (5) our community partners program distributes more than 1,700 free tickets each year to la-based community service organizations and convenes leaders of these organizations at the wallis to create community and exchange ideas. Advocacy: as a center for the convergence of arts, culture, and civic life, the wallis is an active advocate for the role of the arts in our broader community. We invite the public to convene at the wallis to attend expert panels on topics ranging from women in the arts, to the role of the arts in social activism, to the state of different art forms in los angeles. Our "grow @ the wallis" education and community create opportunities for undeserved and at-risk groups to participate in the arts: ongoing programs serve public k-12 students; adults living with parkinson's disease; constituents of local social service agencies; and youth and adults with autism. We have also created several long-term theater programs that serve veterans reentering civilian life, and previously incarcerated young adults; we work with organizations with expertise serving these demographics to run these special programs.”