PNC Bank Donates Lead Gift For VTA's Arts Annex

Victoria Theatre Association today announced PNC Bank has made a significant investment in the new Arts Annex and is now the lead gift on the project, which provides a naming opportunity for the new arts and education venue scheduled to open this fall. The PNC ARTS ANNEX will bring to life the currently vacant corner of Second and Ludlow Streets in downtown Dayton, creating a fresh and flexible home for new arts experiences for all ages.

The 12,000 square foot PNC ARTS ANNEX, located on the corner of Second and Ludlow streets, across from the Schuster Center, is on the first floor and part of the building that houses Caresource, Area Agency on Aging, Boston Stoker and CVS. Construction is scheduled to conclude later in the summer, with a grand opening planned for early October.

"Support from organizations such as PNC is critical to achieving Victoria Theatre Association's mission," said Ken Neufeld, VTA president and CEO. "VTA believes that fostering more creative opportunity in our community - specifically for our young people - is important in today's world. The PNC ARTS ANNEX will provide members of our community of every age the opportunity to experience, explore and express their personal creativity, however that is defined."

"Victoria Theatre Association is one of the great cultural resources for our city," said David Melin, PNC regional president for Dayton. "At PNC, we recognize that access to quality arts experiences enriches lives and builds stronger and more vibrant communities, which ultimately helps drive business and economic development."

The PNC ARTS ANNEX will include an affordable 200-seat performance venue to showcase smaller performances, open mic nights, spoken word events and other alternative programming choices. It is ideal for smaller productions produced by a variety of community groups including Magnolia Theatre Company, The Playground Theatre and Dare 2 Defy. The Dayton Performing Arts Alliance and The Human Race Theatre Company have also expressed interest in the facility's offerings. In addition to the theatre space, the PNC ARTS ANNEX features a large studio space ideal for a variety of classes and workshops as well as lobby space for meetings, receptions, and parties.

"The arts activities VTA creates are at capacity," said Gary Minyard, VTA vice president of Education & Engagement. "The PNC ARTS ANNEX gives our current education and engagement programs room to grow, but more important, we will now have room to expand into new and exciting avenues VTA has yet to explore."

PNC joins a growing list of dedicated investors supporting the Arts Annex: The State of Ohio, Ohio Facilities Construction Commission, John R. Kasich, Governor of Ohio; Montgomery County Arts and Cultural District; Joseph and Gail Deering; The Jack W. and Sally D. Eichelberger Foundation of The Dayton Foundation; Steve and Kate Hone; Steve and Lou Mason; Miller Valentine Group Construction; The Schiewetz Foundation; The Harry A. Toulmin, Jr., and Virginia B. Toulmin Fund of The Dayton Foundation; Winsupply and the Winsupply Family of Companies; and, The Wyse Family Foundation.

Project management, design and construction of PNC ARTS ANNEX is conducted by Miller Valentine Group. Logo design for the PNC ARTS ANNEX was provided by The Ohlmann Group.

For more information, please visit www.victoriatheatre.com/venues/arts-annex/.

PNC Bank, National Association, is a member of The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: PNC). PNC is one of the largest diversified financial services institutions in the United States, organized around its customers and communities for strong relationships and local delivery of retail and business banking including a full range of lending products; specialized services for corporations and government entities, including corporate banking, real estate finance and asset-based lending; wealth management and asset management. For information about PNC, visit www.pnc.com.

Victoria Theatre Association is one of Dayton's premier arts organizations, presenting the Premier Health Broadway Series, the Morris Furniture Company Family Series, the Cool Films Series, Projects Unlimited Star Attractions, National Geographic Live Series, sponsored by Subaru of America and Wagner Subaru, and The Discovery Series, which features curriculum-enhanced live theatre productions for school children. In addition to the performances it presents, Victoria Theatre Association also manages the historic Victoria Theatre, the Benjamin & Marian Schuster Performing Arts Center, the Metropolitan Arts Center, which houses The Loft Theatre, and the new Arts Annex. VTA is a not-for-profit arts organization that receives funding from a variety of public and private sources, including corporations, foundations, individuals, the Montgomery County Arts and Cultural District, and the Ohio Arts Council (OAC). VTA programs are made possible in part by state tax dollars allocated by the Ohio Legislature to OAC, a state agency that funds and supports quality arts experiences to strengthen Ohio communities culturally, educationally, and economically.

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