A celebration of life for Sandra Gajic, the CEO and president of the Overture Center for the Arts who passed away on Dec. 6 after a seven-month battle with cancer, will be held on Saturday, Feb. 8, at 2 p.m., in the Overture Hall Lobby. The celebration is free and open to the public.
Gajic was the first woman to run Overture Center, a tenure that began on Aug. 13, 2018. During her time with the organization, she spearheaded an increase in Broadway subscribers, expanded the work of the equity and innovation department and broadened multicultural programming, and she was instrumental in initiating a comprehensive study of Overture’s operations.
Overture Center also is honoring Gajic’s memory through the Sandra Gajic Capital Fund, which supports capital and improvement projects for the Overture Center building. Gajic believed in the transformational role the arts play in Madison’s culture, economy, education, and quality of life, and she believed the arts help promote inclusion and diversity.
During the Feb. 8 celebration, Betty Harris Custer, chairman of Overture Center Foundation’s board of directors, will present welcoming remarks, followed by a reading of Gajic’s poetry and a musical performance by Iva Ugrcic, a close friend and colleague of Gajic and founder of the LunART Festival. Additional remarks will be contributed by Overture executive team members and close friends.
Doors will open at 1:30 p.m. After the program, light desserts, coffee, and tea will be served in the Promenade Terrace.
