At 2025 ARTS by George! donors support George Mason student artists

George Mason University’s College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA) celebrated the 20th ARTS by George! benefit event on September 27. 

Headlined by Tony, Emmy, and Golden Globe Award-winning actor, singer, and songwriter Darren Criss, the evening’s festivities raised more than $289,000 in support for student scholarships in visual arts, dance, music, theater, game design, film, and arts management, as well as for the Mason Community Arts Academy (MCAA), Green Machine Ensembles, and the Great Performances at Mason season at the Center for the Arts. This year’s donations and sponsorships bring the total of funds raised through ARTS by George! to more than $4.6 million since its inception in 2006.   

“Talent is equally distributed, but opportunity is not, and you all are helping to provide that opportunity. When you support a student here, you support that student, their family, the university, our community, and your region, and I want to thank you,” said George Mason President Gregory Washington.   

During the evening, more than 230 CVPA students and faculty presented 18 performances and exhibits for guests to enjoy.

• Students and faculty from the Dewberry School of Music performed jazz, opera, piano, and instrumental music in various ensembles and offering guests an exciting sample of upcoming performances on campus. 
• Students from the School of Theater captivated audiences with an excerpt from their upcoming production of Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, including the entire cast performing the "Prologue" on the stage of Harris Theater. 
• School of Dance students impressed guests with their use of bodies in dialogue and the journey of freshman majors since arriving at school four weeks ago. 
• Student films from graduating seniors and alumni of the Film and Video Studies Program were on display in the immersive screening room. 
• Guests explored a gallery featuring sculptures created by students and faculty in the School of Art and Mason Exhibitions. Displays in the gallery also showcased the current exhibitions and events offered by Mason Exhibitions and the planned Arts District, including an expanded sculpture garden, for the Fairfax Campus. 
• Guests engaged with a photobooth from the Arts Management Program and created miniature art for the Free Little Art Gallery, created and managed in Arlington, Virginia, by Arts Management alumna Stacey Schwartz. 
• Students and faculty from the Computer Game Design Program led virtual reality demos in a dedicated gallery space, helping guests to understand the possibilities of the technology for professional training and other serious game innovations. 
• Talented young students from the Mason Community Arts Academy performed musical selections on piano, saxophone, and violin, as well as performing "For the First Time in Forever" from their previous production of Frozen, Jr.. 
• Guests, including President Washington and presidential partner Nicole Washington, danced and sang along during a performance from Green and Gold Soul, one of the Green Machine Ensembles. Led by Arts Management alumnus Bobby Lacy, the ensemble created a high-energy welcome for guests entering the Center for the Arts before the evening's headlining performance.

In the Center for the Arts, a live Fund-A-Student appeal raised nearly $50,000 in just six minutes toward the total amount raised at the event. 

“This outpouring of generosity is really breathtaking,” said CVPA Dean Rick Davis, after the Fund-A-Student appeal. “You are helping the next generation of young artists take flight, and you’ve clearly been inspired by what you’ve seen here tonight.” 

In an annual tradition, a distinguished Mason Arts graduate returned to the stage before the evening’s headlining concert. This year, School of Theater alumna Rebecca Wahls shared the trailer for her film Him and spoke to the audience about how her experiences as a scholarship recipient at George Mason shaped her life. A dedicated educator and artist, Wahls is a long-time teacher with MCAA, working for her mentor and former professor Mary Lechter, now executive director of MCAA. Wahls also shared how in addition to enriching her career George Mason is where she met her husband. Wahls said she used her Young Alumni Commissioning Project grant to hire an attorney to support the post-production process of her film, which is available now on multiple streaming platforms. 

An Evening with Darren Criss followed, where the songwriter and performer shared songs from throughout his wildly eclectic career on Broadway and TV. The evening’s program concluded with an onstage champagne toast, during which Criss shared his enthusiasm for the cause of supporting arts students and thanked the ARTS by George! guests and supporters for being part of that effort.

For complete information about ARTS by George!, including scholarship stories, a schedule of student showcases, previous ARTS by George! images, and more, visit the event website. 

The Presenting Sponsor for ARTS by George! 2025 is Atlantic Union Bank.