Petullo's $3.5 million gift will support advanced students at First Stage, MYSO
A $3.5 million gift from Anthony J. Petullo will launch new endowment funds designed to support advanced students in First Stage and Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra programs.
Over a four-year period, Petullo will give a total of $1.75 million to each organization. In turn, First Stage will launch the Anthony J. Petullo Endowment for Advanced Theater Students and MYSO will start the Anthony J. Petullo Leadership Fellows Endowment.
"Investing in the future of these talented individuals through advanced theater, music and leadership programs is not just a philanthropic gesture — it’s a commitment to nurturing artistic excellence and cultivating the next generation of leaders and storytellers,” Petullo said in a statement announcing the gifts.
In that statement, First Stage said it plans to use the fund "to provide financial assistance to students who participate in First Stage’s advanced theater training programs," including its Young Company, and for other future initiatives.
MYSO will use the gift to support advanced students in its orchestra programs, such as its Senior Symphony, jazz and steel pan programs.
In the announcement, Petullo said he urges "fellow donors to consider the profound legacy they can leave through such gifts, ensuring that the arts thrive for generations to come.”
A retired businessman and former naval office, Petullo is a well-known local philanthropist and arts advocate. A passionate collector of work by outsider and self-taught artists, Petullo donated much of his collection to the Milwaukee Art Museum.
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Petullo's $3.5 million gift will support First Stage, MYSO students
