Bolstering Arts, Culture, Science and Education on the Prado

Patrons of the Prado is committed to raising funds to benefit arts, science, and cultural centers on the Prado in Balboa Park, and for programs that provide educational access for San Diego County K-12 schoolchildren to the world-class treasures of Balboa Park, inspiring cultural fluency for future generations.

Since 1997, Patrons of the Prado have awarded their beneficiaries more than 5.7 million dollars in unrestricted grants and restricted Bucks4Buses educational grants. They have provided thousands of volunteer hours to promote the extraordinary arts and cultural institutions that occupy the Prado. Their beneficiaries include the Fleet Science Center, Mingei International Museum, Museum of Us, San Diego History Center, San Diego Junior Theatre, San Diego Museum of Art, San Diego Natural History Museum, The Old Globe, and the Timken Museum of Art.

Patrons’ beneficiaries acknowledge that unrestricted grant funding is crucial to their success. It empowers them to take the most appropriate path to further their mission with greater effectiveness, provides opportunities to introduce innovative programming, and allows their institutions to pivot when services and resources must evolve to meet the community’s changing needs.

Since launching the innovative Bucks4Buses program in 2012, more than 356,000 San Diego school children have been supported by Bucks4Buses funding, enabling their exploration of historical archives, arts, culture, and science institutions, as well as attending live theatre performances in Balboa Park, often for the very first time.

Patrons of the Prado grants are made possible through year-long fundraising projects and their signature event, MASTERPIECE. Held once a year, MASTERPIECE is one of the most anticipated fundraisers of the summer season. Join event co-chairs Malissa Sanfilippo and CiCi Drummond on Saturday, July 27, 2024, in the Spreckels Organ Pavilion for Mythical MASTERPIECE 2024 Enchantment at the Acropolis. Engage in an Athenian Odyssey celebrating the art and culture of Ancient Greece! It promises to be an unforgettable night of Epicurean Elegance and Dionysian Delights.

Guests will enjoy tray-passed appetizers, a three-course meal, craft cocktails, live entertainment, curated silent and live auction items, and the popular PoP the Cork opportunity drawing, where one lucky person will win an enviable collection of high-end wines. Guests will dance the night away to music provided by the energetic and talented band NRG ENTERTAINMENT.

MASTERPIECE 2024 honors and celebrates Thompson and Jane Fetter as the 2024 recipients of the “Patrons of the Prado ICON Award for Arts and Culture.” This prestigious award recognizes the Fetters’ leadership, stewardship, and long-standing commitment to Balboa Park and their many contributions to the cultural good in our community.

MASTERPIECE is more than a memorable party. Proceeds from the event support the cornerstones of the Patrons of the Prado mission by making a tangible impact on their beneficiaries and supporting educational access for San Diego school children.

To purchase MASTERPIECE tickets, learn about sponsorship opportunities, for more information about Bucks4Buses or Patrons of the Prado, please visit www.patronsoftheprado.org.