Freeman Arts Pavilion adds to growing team
The Freeman Arts Pavilion announced the addition of two new members of its leadership team for the arts and performance venue.
Darren Silvis joined as the new development director, and and Paul Shaw is the new director of marketing.
The Freeman Arts Pavilion, a program of the Joshua M. Freeman Foundation, is a champion of the arts on Delmarva, providing diverse arts performances as well as arts access programs for local schools and the community at large.
In March 2020, Silvis joined the team with years of experience in fundraising and nonprofit development in education as well as national and local animal welfare organizations, including the Humane Society of the United States. His role includes growing the membership base of Freeman Arts Pavilion, creating new fundraising strategies, identifying potential business and sponsor partnerships, and managing major gifts as the venue continues to grow and evolve.
Shaw joined the Freeman Arts Pavilion team in March 2021. He comes from ASM Global, where he was director of marketing for Wind Creek Event Center in Bethlehem, Pa. Using his extensive experience managing marketing and outreach for the performance venue at the former Sands Event Casino Resort and as former marketing manager with Live Nation Entertainment, Shaw will be instrumental in building the Freeman Arts Pavilion brand, and driving ticket sales and subscriptions. He will ensure that the public and press outlets are aware of the wide variety and diversity of performers featured at Freeman Arts Pavilion.
“Darren and Paul’s addition to the team will help further support our ambitious goal of bringing simple joy into the hearts, homes, schools and communities in Delmarva,” said Patti Grimes, executive director of the Joshua M. Freeman Foundation, which supports the Freeman Arts Pavilion. “We’re delighted to welcome them. I am confident they will help us realize our vision of becoming a world-class stop for major touring performers, as well as a dedicated supporter of the local arts in Sussex County and the surrounding Delmarva region. Their years of expertise in their respective fields mean we will have exceptional talent not just featured on our stage but also supporting all our efforts behind the scenes.”
On Jan. 1, the Joshua M. Freeman Foundation unveiled the latest chapter in its evolution by adopting a new brand consistent with its vision and commitment to its future as a premier arts organization on the Delmarva Peninsula, changing its name from the Freeman Stage to Freeman Arts Pavilion.
“Although the new physical structure of the Freeman Arts Pavilion is still several years away, we have established a multi-phase plan that will allow us to conservatively expand our seating capacity in 2021 while still maintaining public safety protocols due to the pandemic,” Grimes said. “The newly purchased parcel of land adjacent to the prior stage area provides space for roughly 550 seating pods.”
Construction of the new pavilion is being done gradually over the coming four to six years, limiting construction to the off-season, October through May. When complete, the new facility will accommodate 4,000 patrons with 1,100 under roof. It will feature state-of-the-art sound, lighting and video capabilities, an expanded concession and dining area, and artists’ dressing room and production space.
“Our vision of becoming a world-class arts organization in this region will reap tremendous benefits for the entire community, and it will continue to serve as an economic driver for the region,” Grimes said.
