The Gilchrist Foundation has awarded a $50,000 grant to Morningside College to help fund the 2014-15 season of the college’s Betty Ling Tsang Fine Arts Series.

The Gilchrist Foundation has awarded a $50,000 grant to Morningside College to help fund the 2014-15 season of the college’s Betty Ling Tsang Fine Arts Series.

According to Randy Peters, artistic director for the Betty Ling Tsang Fine Arts Series, the grant enables Morningside to continue providing high quality music and theatre performances and lectures at no cost to Sioux City area residents.

“We recently expanded the Betty Ling Tsang Fine Arts Series from a summer-only schedule to a year-round schedule,” Peters said. “With the Gilchrist Foundation as a major sponsor, the current season promises to be another great one.”

Peters said the summer season of the Betty Ling Tsang Fine Arts Series already has included three productions in Morningside’s Buhler Outdoor Performance Center, in addition to music and theatre camps for elementary, middle school and high school students. The final outdoor summer performance, Stephen Sondheim’s musical revue “Putting It Together,” is scheduled for August 8 and 9.

Peters announced that the remainder of the Betty Ling Tsang Fine Arts Series for 2014 will include country a cappella vocal group Home Free, the Waitt Lecture and the Christmas at Morningside concert. The college also will present the Stephen Sondheim musical “Into the Woods” early in the spring of 2015. Morningside will release performance and lecture details in the future.

“Since its start in 2008, the Betty Ling Tsang Fine Arts Series has presented local audiences with a wide range of free quality music and theatre performances,” said Marilyn Hagberg, vice president and trust officer at Security National Bank, which oversees the Gilchrist Foundation trust. “The foundation’s grant committee is pleased to help ensure that the fine arts series continues this outstanding tradition for the 2014-15 season.”

The Gilchrist Foundation furthers the philanthropy of the late Jocelyn Gilchrist, and her family, in the arts, wildlife, conservation, public broadcasting and disaster relief. The foundation makes grants to pre-selected non-profit organizations.