Philadelphia Civic Leader Was Driving Force in Creation of the University

PHILADELPHIA (April 29, 2009) – The University of the Arts has named its School of Theater Arts in honor of long-time trustee and performing arts patron Ira Brind, one of the chief architects of the 1985 merger of the Philadelphia College of Performing Arts (PCPA) and Philadelphia College of Art (PCA) that eventually led to the formation of the University of the Arts in 1987.

“Without Ira’s vision and tenacity, the University of the Arts might not exist, and it would certainly not be the nationally recognized arts education institution that it is today,” said University of the Arts President Sean T. Buffington. “We are immensely grateful to him for his dedication to our mission of educating artists, and for his continuing leadership and support. In recognition of all of his work on behalf of the university, it is only fitting that we dedicate the Ira Brind School of Theater Arts.”

Brind and the university will create the Ira Brind Scholarship Fund to support scholarships for students in the Ira Brind School of Theater Arts in the university’s College of Performing Arts (CPA).

A prominent Philadelphia civic leader and philanthropist, Brind is a lifelong Philadelphian who graduated from Central High School and the University of Pennsylvania. First elected to the PCPA board of trustees in 1976, he quickly became board chair. In that capacity, he worked with PCA board chair Sam McKeel to bring their shared vision of a comprehensive arts university to fruition. More than 30 years later, Brind serves as vice chairman of the University of the Arts board, and has led two of the University’s presidential searches.

The Ira Brind School of Theater Arts has provided professional training for actors, designers and theater makers for over a quarter of a century. The Brind School offers bachelor of fine arts degrees in acting, musical theater, theater design and technology, and theater management and production. Its alumni can be seen in film, television and stage productions throughout the United States. Notable alumni include actress and artistic director Jen Childs, founder of 1812 Productions in Philadelphia; actress KaDee Strickland, currently appearing in the ABC series “Private Practice”; actress Ana Ortiz, a regular on ABC’s hit series “Ugly Betty”; singer and actress Sarah Bolt, currently in “Wicked” on Broadway; and director Jackson Gay, who went on to earn an MFA in directing from Yale and has directed in New York and regional theater. The Brind School mounts more than a dozen productions each year, including classic plays and musicals, as well as adventurous contemporary work and workshops of new work-in-progress.

“Ira’s generosity and visionary support will help the Brind School reach even higher levels of excellence and innovation for many years to come,” said CPA Dean Rick Lawn.

The naming comes on the heels of the University’s opening of the Ronald and Ellen Caplan Center for the Performing Arts on the 16th and 17th floors of Terra Hall (211 S. Broad St.). The Caplan Center provides the Brind School a 250-seat recital hall, a 100-seat black box theater, green room and dressing room space, state-of-the-art recording equipment, and classrooms for the theater and music programs. The Caplan Center performance venues are complemented by several other University of the Arts performance spaces, including the Arts Bank Theater and recently renovated Laurie Beechman Cabaret Theater at the Arts Bank (601 S. Broad St.), and the historic Merriam Theater (250 S. Broad St.).

Brind is president of Brind Investments Inc., and is an investment advisor for North Castle Partners and ETF Venture Fund. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Pennsylvania Law School, he is the former CEO of Brind Leasing Corporation and of McDonnell Douglas Truck Services Corp. He also co-founded Brind, Lindsay & Co. Inc., a private equity investment company.

Brind currently serves as Chairman Emeritus of the Board of Trustees of Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. He is a member and former chair of the Board of Trustees of the Wistar Institute, and on the boards of the Connelly Foundation, Thomas Jefferson University, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia Museum of Art and Jefferson Health System.

The University of the Arts is the nation’s first and only university dedicated to the visual, performing and communication arts. Its 2,300 students are enrolled in undergraduate and graduate programs on its campus in the heart of Philadelphia’s Avenue of the Arts. The institution’s roots as a leader in educating creative individuals date back to 1868.

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