Voice of OC readers have a unique opportunity to double the impact of their donations for arts and culture coverage as the newsroom’s Arts & Culture section has been given a wonderful opportunity in the form of a $10,000 matching grant from the Ernest and Irma Rose Foundation.
Douglas K. Freeman, the founding CEO and executive chair of Orange County Music and Dance, was instrumental in bringing Voice of OC to the foundation’s attention, and we’re proud and fortunate to be among the many recipients in Orange County that benefit from its generosity.
The Ernest and Irma Rose Foundation was established to enhance opportunities of deserving Americans to achieve their dreams and aspirations. Grateful for the opportunities that this country provided them, the founders, both of whom emigrated from Germany after World War II, devoted their resources to supporting the health, education, and cultural life of the members of the Jewish community as well as the broader Southern California community.
“The Ernest and Irma Rose Foundation focuses on the health and well-being of Orange County, and that includes its cultural life,” Freeman said.
“Voice of OC is the most important media in Orange County truly dedicated to that cultural life. It must be maintained and remain vibrant. We are grateful for their passion and commitment and we want to encourage others to join with us in ensuring that the Voice is not silenced.”
Since it was launched in September 2018, Voice of OC’s Arts & Culture section has covered Orange County’s complex and diverse cultural scene. With a staff of seasoned journalists, many of them veterans of The Orange County Register, the Los Angeles Times, OC Weekly and other major publications, our section offers news, features, reviews and commentary about the county’s music, dance, theater, food, film and art worlds and cultural life.
We balance our coverage between the large, nationally renowned institutions that find their home here and the vital community-level artists and groups that help give Orange County culture its unparalleled richness. We specialize in finding the overlooked treasures — local artists that mainstream journalism often neglect.
Our focus and work have paid off. Since our beginnings, Voice of OC’s Arts & Culture section has received many honors, including a 2019 National Arts and Entertainment Journalism Award.
Thanks to the Rose Foundation, your donation to the Arts & Culture section will be matched dollar for dollar. We have already received more than $1,200 toward our goal. Please help us enjoy the full measure of this honor by contributing today.