This year's successful fund-raising campaign, spearheaded by John Wiseman of XL Video, has included many corporate and individual gifts in support of The Wally Russell Fund and its various activities, including a lighting internship at the LA Opera, in addition to the Lifetime Achivevement Award, presented on Oct 21 at LDI 2006 to Allen Branton, and the Newcomer Award, reinstated as of this year, and presented to Charles Kirby of Lightbox/Thematics.
Two new donations have been received from the following:
Color Kinetics - $2,500
MainLight - $2,500
Wally Russell’s friends and business associates created the Wally Russell Foundation in 1992 to honor the memory of Russell—a visionary in lighting design, product innovation, theatre design, technical direction, and general management—whose frequently unrecognized impact on the profession was profound. Russell helped bring about the first computer controlled lightboard; brought automated lighting to the LA Opera as their technical director; and designed many theatres, including the modernizing of Buenos Aries’ Teatro Colon.
The Wally Russell Foundation Board of Directors are Donna Appleton, Phil Bernard, Rusty Brustche, David Cunningham, Tom Folsom, John Howe, Philip O’Donnell, Richard Pilbrow, Brian Russell, Glen Russell, Robert Schiller, Jennifer White, John Wiseman.
Donations can be made to the Foundation in the following levels:
Wally Patron: $2,500 and above
Platinum Circle: $1,000 to $2,499
Gold Circle: $100 to $999
Donations can be sent to:
The Wally Russell Foundation
c/o Tom Folsom
2061 Hoefner Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90040
USA