Art — For Life

For the Alexander family, a Broadway in Austin show at The University of Texas at Austin’s Texas Performing Arts is a night to be treasured. Sharing it with others makes it all the more special.

Even if it’s a show we’ve seen several times, seeing it with our daughters in a place that’s so meaningful to us, having that shared experience with family, there’s no way to recreate that,” says Kristin Chilivetis Alexander, BBA ’03. And through their generous gift to name the Alexander Pavilion at the center of Texas Performing Arts’ new Performing Arts Plaza, Kristin and Josh Alexander, BA, BBA ’03, are making sure that families will experience and cherish these shows for generations to come.

But it’s about more than just an unforgettable night at the theater. “The arts are a critical part of education and of being a good human,” says Josh, who recently joined the Blanton Museum Council. “The educational part is so important to us — you can learn so much about yourself and about others. You can learn how to empathize and build a community.”

The revitalized plaza, a key campus location in front of Bass Concert Hall and just up the street from DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium, will be a world-class gathering place and artistic oasis for students, audiences and Texas fans. The Alexander Pavilion, anchor to the new plaza at the heart of UT’s arts and entertainment corridor, expects to welcome hundreds of thousands of visitors to great performances each year.

“Texas Performing Arts is the No. 1 university-based performing arts center for number of events and size of audience,” says Bob Bursey, TPA Executive Director. “Kristin and Josh are supporters whose vision and impact matches our scope and scale. When the Arts Plaza is built, the experience outside our theaters is going to match the world-class performances that happen on our stages. And Kristin’s role as the chair of our Leadership Board speaks to her and Josh’s commitment to volunteer their time and talent to sustain and build TPA as an exceptional resource for generations of students, artists, and the public.”

“It’s an incredible privilege to share in the process of growing and cultivating the arts at UT, helping build a proper front porch for the arts that works architecturally and functionally in the University’s athletics and entertainment district,” says Josh. “Kristin and I are thrilled to give back to the University that has given us so much.”