Meet the Visionaries
A century of generosity
Nearly 100 years ago, Cincinnati’s original Visionaries helped create a permanent foundation for the arts. Today’s Visionaries continue that legacy through current and future gifts to the ArtsWave Endowment.
Every gift begins with a story.
Your Legacy. Our Shared Future.
- Tim Spence
Holding ArtsWave’s original pledge cards made a century of generosity personal for Tim Spence. His campaign leadership is driven by a desire to offer future Cincinnatians the same rich opportunities.
- Lee Carter
Helping welcome the World Choir Games showed Lee Carter what Cincinnati could accomplish through the arts. His legacy commitment builds on a lifetime of connection, collaboration and pride in his hometown.
- Emma Off
Emma Off once imagined an arts career for herself. Today, she supports ArtsWave so children can discover their talents and see a place for creativity in their own futures.
- Mary Louise Batt
Mary Louise Batt built her career in a field where women were often outnumbered. Now, through her ArtsWave Endowment fund, she’s helping female creators be seen and heard—and opening doors for the women and girls who follow.
- Lisa Sauer
Lisa Sauer’s confidence in ArtsWave grew as she saw its work from the inside. Her endowment gift reflects both a personal love of art and a belief in the difference thoughtful giving can make.
- Dudley Taft
A call about Music Hall’s unpaid electric bill brought the practical needs of the arts into sharp focus for Dudley Taft. His legacy giving reflects decades of work to keep Cincinnati’s cultural institutions strong.
- Kelly Wittich
A school trip to Music Hall showed Kelly Wittich a world she might otherwise have missed. Her planned gift helps sustain a city where more people can experience that kind of discovery.
- Jacklyn and Gary Bryson
Piano runs in my family the way some families pass down a name. My mother played - Irving Berlin, show tunes, songs that filled a room.
- Lynne Friedlander
Original pledge cards made generations of her family’s generosity tangible for Lynne Friedlander. Her personal legacy gift ensures that her own commitment to Cincinnati’s arts will continue.
Meet today's Current Visionaries
Meet the people helping sustain artistic excellence and expand arts access through a current or future gift to the ArtsWave Endowment.