Press Release

Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit Announces $1 Million Grant to Fund Summer Camp and Middle School Programs

Grant to Support Mosaic Through 2019 Leadership Transition

Seller-Lehrer Family Foundation Announces Five-Year Commitment to Mosaic

(Detroit, December 13, 2018) Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit announced today that it has received a $1 million grant that will fund two of their key programs – the Summer Camp and the Mosaic Experience Empowerment Program (MEEP). The grant, which will be distributed over five (5) years is from the Seller-Lehrer Family Foundation (SLFF). Mosaic was founded 27 years ago by Rick Sperling, its founding artistic director, and is now lead by Stefanie Worth, its Executive Director and DeLashea Strawder, its Artistic Director. Mosaic provides summer camp, in-school mentoring, and a variety of artistic opportunities for children in Detroit. Mosaic is an unusually accomplished non-profit program, its alumni having garnered Tony, Emmy, and Grammy nominations, performed for two U.S. presidents, toured three continents and sent 95 percent of their student participants to college.

The Seller-Lehrer Family Foundation (SLFF) was founded by Broadway Producer and Detroit native, Jeffrey Seller and his partner Josh Lehrer, a prominent photographer and documentarist. The SLFF mission is to fund dynamic educational, cultural, and environmental organizations and initiatives.

“This incredibly generous grant comes at an important inflection point in Mosaic’s long history,” said Rick Sperling. “We have demonstrated success in exposing the exciting world of theatre and music to Detroit’s youth. As we move onto an exciting future with new leadership in 2019, this grant ensures a smooth transition and our continued ability to fully fund our summer camp and the Mosaic Experience Empowerment Program in Detroit’s middle schools,” added Sperling.

“I have admired Rick Sperling since the 1980’s when he directed shows at Performance Network in Ann Arbor.   He daily demonstrates that theatre changes lives.  His work with Mosaic has lifted and enriched the lives of thousands of young people and we are honored to help support a strong future for this extraordinary institution,” said Jeffrey Seller, the producer of the Tony Award-winning musicals Hamilton, Rent, Avenue Q, In the Heights, and this season’s The Cher Show. “Rick’s leadership and the team that Mosaic has put in place – Stefanie Worth and DeLashea Strawder – will ensure that this great organization continues to provide artistic and educational opportunity for Detroit students for another 27 years,” added Seller.

The $1 million grant, which will be distributed over five years includes funds that will be set aside to establish an endowment to support future programs. The annual funding will support up to 200 camp scholarships.

About Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit

Mosaic seeks to empower young people to create positive changes in their lives and communities by helping them develop patterns of cooperation, disciplined work habits and effective problem-solving skills through the creation of high-quality, professional-level performances of theatre and music. And by highlighting the immense talent of young Detroiters, Mosaic helps to create positive peer role models and young people who can view a more positive future for themselves and for their community.

About the Seller-Lehrer Family Foundation

Predicated on the concept that first you learn, then you earn and then you return, the Seller-Lehrer Family Foundation endeavors to re-invest the support from Broadway patrons into organizations that pursue innovative and worthwhile cultural and environmental initiatives. Specifically, the Foundation makes grants to public charities with educational, theatrical, artistic, Jewish community, and environmental purposes.   The Foundation is particularly interested in proposals that pursue innovative and non-traditional solutions and initiatives carried out on behalf of such organizations.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Don Tanner
(248) 762-1533

MOSAIC FOUNDER RICK SPERLING TO RETIRE FROM NONPROFIT AFTER 27 YEARS
DELASHEA STRAWDER NAMED NEW ARTISTIC DIRECTOR TO LEAD ORGANIZATIONWITH EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR STEFANIE WORTH

DETROIT, Mich. — Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit founder and Artistic Director Rick Sperling will retire from the nonprofit in September 2019. Mosaic has also elevated DeLashea Strawder to Artistic Director from Associate Artistic Director. The announcements were made by Sperling and the Mosaic Board of Directors.

Founded by Rick Sperling in 1992 to address gaps in Metro Detroit arts education, Mosaic has served, mentored and guided thousands of young artists throughout the community. After his departure in September, Sperling will continue his consultancy work for Detroit Public Schools Community District in the area of arts excellence for youth. He will also continue to serve as an advisor to Mosaic and its Board and produce an annual summer alumni and community musical.

A 1999-2002 member of the Mosaic Singers, Strawder joined the nonprofit in 2003 as Assistant Music Director and steadily rose up the ranks to Music Director and her most recent title of Associate Artistic Director. Now, as Mosaic’s new Artistic Director, she will provide leadership in the development and oversight of training programs and artistic performances while working with Executive Director Stefanie Worth to ensure stage and educational initiatives align to strategic plans and budgets.

“DeLashea, with Stefanie, provides the ideal combination of talent to evolve and move us forward with new ideas and approaches aimed at community impact, sustainability and maximizing potential,” said Kate M. Spratt, Chair of Mosaic’s Board of Directors. “Rick Sperling, a man whose vision and leadership are without peer, cannot be replaced. Rather, we will honor and build upon his legacy of ‘only the best, nothing less’ for those we serve.”

“My goal has always been to create an organization that benefits generation after generation of young artists and I am incredibly proud of what we have built,” said Sperling, whose new title will be Founding Artistic Director. “It is also a dream come true to have a Mosaic alumnus succeed me. With a strong balance sheet and zero debt, this organization is in wonderful hands with leaders I know will continue and evolve the Mosaic mission.”

A Detroit News Michiganian of the Year, Sperling’s work has been recognized locally and nationally including with the Detroit Free Press Award for Lifetime Achievement in Theater and the National Guild of Community Arts Education Award. Mosaic facilitates the participation of more than 500 young people from more than 50 Metro Detroit schools in First, Second and Main Stage programs annually. Under Sperling’s leadership, Mosaic has garnered numerous national and local honors including the National Youth Arts and Humanities Program Award — the country’s highest honor for youth cultural organizations, The State of Michigan’s Governors’ Arts  Award, and Crain’s Detroit Business’ Best Managed Nonprofit Award.

About Mosaic

Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit is an internationally renowned out-of-school creative youth development organization. Mosaic channels the passion, energy, and creativity of area youth into developing outstanding theater productions, critical thinking skills, and global citizenry through arts education, college prep, and workforce readiness programming. Mosaic’s young artists have performed at the White House and the Kennedy Center and have toured their critically acclaimed productions in Europe, Asia, Africa and 25 states throughout the U.S. The organization maintains a 95%-plus high school graduation rate with students attending colleges across Michigan and around the country, institutions such as The Julliard School, and going on to become Kresge Artist Fellows, Broadway stars, and Emmy and Tony Award nominees. To learn more about Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit, visit us online at www.mosaicdetroit.org.

About DeLashea Strawder 

DeLashea Strawder has devoted her skill and leadership to inspire and incite a new generation of leaders and advocates for the arts for over a decade. Equally grounded in artistic excellence and arts education Strawder is a sought after conductor, clinician and speaker.  A champion of arts and culture and its’ inherent ability to motivate, empower and mobilize, she serves as co-chair for the National Creative Youth Development Field Building Action Team and has been recognized for her leadership and community impact as a Comcast 20 under 30 (2011), Detroit Pistons Come Together Foundation Impact Award (2013) and Michigan Chronicle 40 under 40 (2017) awardee.

Under her leadership Mosaic Singers have won two gold and three silver medals at the World Choir Games, opened for the Sistine Chapel Choir, performed for President Obama and at the Congressional Black Caucus Conference, American Choral Directors Michigan Conference and as the guest chorus for select performances of Josh Groban’s Stages and Bridges Tours.

About Stefanie Worth

Stefanie joined Mosaic in May 2018 as Executive Director, bringing a strong multi-sector perspective and two decades of experience in Detroit’s nonprofit sector. From her days as an award-winning newspaper reporter, an internet pioneer, Detroit City Council staffer, and brand marketing leader, her roles have been threaded by innovative approaches to community collaboration.