A generous endowment from TR Rosenberg ’74 and Laurel Glocheski supports Fine Arts Center artists as they perform and educate the community.

TR Rosenberg ’74 and his wife, Laurel Glocheski, can often be found attending one of the UMass Fine Arts Center’s many vibrant productions.

“We’ve been to about 20 Fine Arts Center events this year,” says Rosenberg. “We love what they do, and we love the international aspects of it. It brings the world to this little town of Amherst.”

For them, it isn’t just about the show; it’s about how these artists and their work positively affect the local community.  

“All my life I’ve been committed to the idea that we should support our communities. I’ve heard from kids who were given free tickets to events at the Fine Arts Center, saw a performance, and it changed their lives. All of a sudden, they have this idea of what they could do, too. It gets me choked up to think about.”

— TR Rosenberg ’74

That’s what inspired Rosenberg and Glocheski to create a generous endowment to fund the Fine Arts Center’s Reimagine Residencies program in spring 2023.

Reimagine Residencies brings nationally and regionally recognized artists to UMass Amherst to address contemporary social issues through performance, education, and outreach activities. Founded in 2020, the program was established as a response to the twin crises of the COVID-19 pandemic and the continuing epidemic of racism across the U.S. and beyond.  

Rosenberg says supporting this program felt natural for him and Glocheski, given how the arts, music, and creativity have played such a central role in their lives. The couple first met at a concert; they pursued artistic hobbies together; and they’ve worked creative jobs. Rosenberg was an artist, chef, entrepreneur, and therapist, while Glocheski was a special education teacher.  

Through their work and volunteer efforts, Rosenberg and Glocheski have seen firsthand the impact the arts can have on people, including their two daughters, who chose creative careers as a costume designer and a high-end pastry chef.

“When [TR and Laurel] heard about the Reimagine Residencies program and realized it was about bringing artists to UMass and embedding them into the conversations happening on campus, they came alive and wanted to support that,” says Fine Arts Center Director Jamilla Deria.

Led by Michael Sakamoto, Fine Arts Center associate director of programming, Reimagine Residencies offers two types of residencies. Development residencies allow artists time to focus on the creative process, and production residencies give artists a chance to perfect their show using resources provided by the Fine Arts Center.  

“We're always looking for artists and performances that are ripe for connection, for creating dialogue and community. We’re not having them parachute in to give a beautiful performance and then leave for the next gig,” says Sakamoto. “We want our artists here to really go deep within our community.”

Such is the case with performance artist and comedian Kristina Wong, who will visit campus on Feb. 28 at 8 p.m. and debut her new show, Kristina Wong, #FoodBankInfluencer, which explores America’s food insecurity issues.

“While on campus, Kristina will be interacting with students and faculty, and a community engagement team working with local food banks,” says Deria. “Part of her process is to gather stories and then reimagine those stories into the narrative of the program she’s performing.” 

Prior to her performance, Wong will offer educational and engagement activities on campus, including through the Food Closet on campus and with local food banks. Wong and the Fine Arts Center are also inviting folks from vulnerable populations to attend the performance.  

“Kristina very much wants people who need food and who will be able to take advantage of these resources to come to the show,” Sakamoto says. “For everyone else who comes to the show and isn’t food insecure right now, they’ll leave with a deeper understanding of what it means to live this way.”

Wong’s visit will mark the second time she has been involved in Reimagine Residencies. Her acclaimed show “Sweatshop Overload” was a Pulitzer Prize finalist and among the first performances supported by the program. It explored how Wong went from out-of-work artist to community organizer during quarantine. For her community work, Wong hosted a virtual Stitch n' Bitch Community Craft Night, where attendees made hand-sewn masks and forged connection during a time of isolation.

“Before [TR and Laurel’s endowment], we were cobbling money together every year to make the Reimagining Residencies program happen. This gift guarantees this space and stabilizes the program in perpetuity so we can continue to have a landing place for artists to be embedded within the campus community.”

— Jamilla Deria, Director, Fine Arts Center

Glocheski and Rosenberg say they hope their commitment helps the program gain visibility and grow.

"Because the events are so diverse and from all over the world, they pull people in from all over, too. That nourishes the Amherst region,” says Glocheski. “With this gift, we're hoping people will learn about the Reimagine Residencies program and they'll want to support it, too.”

Make your gift to the Fine Arts Center to support artists making a difference in our local community.