The Tracy Preforming Arts Foundations

The Tracy Performing Arts Foundation was founded by Evelyn Tolbert in 2003 to promote the growth of performing arts in Tracy through the provision of support to organizations and individuals. Tracy Performing Arts Foundation seeks to increase the support for performing arts throughout the community by working in partnership with other community entities in bringing a cross-section of performing arts and related events to Tracy. The focus is on providing opportunities for learning, practice, and performance to those interested in participating in performing arts.

The Tracy Performing Arts Foundation conducts four (4) scholarship programs each year. One, for actors and musicians is named the "Tracy Performing Arts Foundation Scholarship". The second scholarship program "Star Quest" is for singers and incorporates an element of widespread community participation and is patterned after "The American Idol". The third scholarship program is "Show Us What You've Got!" and attracted 50 plus dancers during its inaugural year of 2007. The newest scholarship program is "Tracy's Next Producer Director" and will culminate in the Stellar Awards Gala on Saturday, July 12, 2008. These scholarship programs, all founded by Evelyn Tolbert, are just an additional method used by the Tracy Performing Arts Foundation to encourage young people to develop their performing arts talents.

Tracy Performing Arts Foundation's support of performing arts in Tracy has included the purchase of tickets for senior citizens and children to attend various productions and partnership with other organizations in bringing speakers and events to Tracy that would not otherwise have come to our community such as "The Black Nativity" in conjunction with the Tracy African American Association, Rev. Samuel Billy Kyles, in conjunction with Tracy Unified School District, and the San Francisco Shakespeare Company, in conjunction with the Tracy High School Drama Department

The Tracy Community Choirs, which consists of three separate choirs, is also a part of the Tracy Performing Arts Foundation, as are The Twelve Tones presentation chorus.

The Tracy Performing Arts Foundation has previously sponsored the Miss Tracy Dry Bean Festival Queen and Princess pageant because of its emphasis on performing arts, and has also supported the Tracy Junior Miss scholarship programs.

The Tracy Performing Arts Foundation provided support to the Tracy Friends of Stockton Symphony in bringing the annual Children's Concert to Tracy and also donated to the travel expenses of the Tracy High Choral Group to go to Carnegie Hall. Tracy Performing Arts Foundation has contributed to many worthwhile community organizations including the Women's Club of Tracy, the Tracy Filipino American Association, and the Tracy Hispanic Leadership Awards programs for young people.

Another major element of the Tracy Performing Arts Foundation is the production each year of a number of dramatic presentations. Most recently the production of "The Steel Magnolias" was held at the Grand Theatre Center of the Arts and received critical acclaim as one of the highest quality productions every mounted in Tracy.

Each year the Tracy Performing Arts Foundation does a production of the historically based work by Evelyn Tolbert entitled "Tracy, Our Town USA". Each year this production retains the same title, however the content is different with different scenes and different songs all in celebration of the individuals, organizations, and events that have made Tracy what it is today.

The Tracy Performing Arts Foundation encourages community interaction and support. For more information on Tracy Performing Arts visit their website at: http://www.tracyperformingartsfoundation.org/home.html