Suzanne and Nathaniel Usdan Center For The Creative and Performing Arts - History

History

In 1968, one thousand New York-area children arrived at the newly created Usdan Center to pursue their love of the arts. This extraordinary inaugural enrollment was testimony to the vision and dedication of the Center's founders. They included artists, educators, and communal leaders. The Center was established under the aegis of Federation of Jewish Philanthropies (now UJA-Federation of New York) then headed by Dr. Maurice B. Hexter. Graenum Berger, Dr. Hexter's colleague, brought the concept to Federation following a trip with Andrew McKinley to Interlochen in 1951. Here Dr. Berger saw the possibility of a comprehensive not-for-profit arts camp for children living in the New York metropolitan area. He embraced the concept of arts education in a camp setting, and enlisted the partnership of a great philanthropist, Samuel Lemberg. Mr. Lemberg provided the initial donations to establish the Center. To honor his extraordinary generosity, Usdan was named for his beloved daughter, Suzanne Usdan.

Arts educators created the educational and artistic plan for Usdan. The Center's founding Executive Director, Andrew McKinley, was a concert artist, a member of the Juilliard faculty, and a renowned opera singer. The Center’s Educational Coordinator and longtime Board President, Dr. Jerrold Ross, then Chairman of the Department of Music Education at New York University, worked with Mr. McKinley to establish the high artistic and educational standards for which Usdan is known. Together with Mrs. Usdan, Dr. Hexter, and Mr. Lemberg, a Board of Trustees was established, and Mr. McKinley assembled a faculty of prominent artists and teachers from the country’s leading conservatories and universities. In 1983, following 16 years as Director of the Center, Andrew McKinley retired. The Board appointed Dale Lewis to become his successor, and Mr. Lewis has been Usdan’s Executive Director since that time. Dr. Ross was the Board's longest serving President (1968-2004). In recent years he has collaborated with Mr. Lewis to expand the Center's curriculum. In 2006 Dr. Ross was honored by his Board colleagues with the naming of the Jerrold Ross Discovery Center, Usdan's campus center for early childhood arts education.

Usdan's original curriculum of music, art, dance, and theater has expanded into additional fields of study in the arts. The program now includes recently added courses in writing, jazz studies, video arts, computer graphics, jazz and tap dance, chamber music, nature and ecology, organic gardening, fashion design, cartooning, animation, classical guitar, and chess. Newer elective classes include Life Drawing, Actor’s Skills, and Tennis.During the past ten years, Usdan has launched programs for beginners as well. Discovery is an arts exploration experience for children in Kindergarten and First Grade.

In addition to its primary programs for children, Usdan also sponsors professional development programs for arts educators. Lifetime learning is another programmatic theme at Usdan, and these programs include alumni study days, lecture and concert workshops for adults, and a popular summertime event for adults known as Usdan University. Usdan’s professional staff provides collaborative programs with schools on Long Island in New York City, and the Center hosts training events for young professionals in the arts, and for community events such as the Long Island Envirothon.

Usdan's leadership includes its Board of Trustees and a Leadership Council of Long Island community, philanthropic, and business leaders, both under the direction of the Center's President, John Usdan, son of the Center's namesake. 2013 is Dale Lewis's 30th year as Executive Director.

Usdan's Mission: Usdan Center is a summer arts school that provides an educational setting for children to develop artistic skills, regardless of their level of talent. Children acquire and develop these skills under the guidance of a professional faculty and they participate in public performances and exhibits that reflect the high standards sought by their teachers and conductors. While studying at Usdan, children discover new abilities and talents and they form lifetime friendships with those who share their love of the arts. The goal is for them to leave Usdan with the arts as a lifetime companion. The Center's philosophy is reflected in Suzanne Usdan's inspirational message: "Lose yourself for a summer. Find yourself for a lifetime."