About Us

The Kathleen Monahan Foundation Fund provides financial support and enhancements to a variety of performing arts venues throughout the greater Tarpon Spring Florida area. The Foundation Fund supports artistic, professional and enjoyable arts and arts education opportunities for our community. Foundation income is used to enable high quality arts programs to grow, by helping to fund capital projects and performing arts activities that will increase the ability of people from all cultural and economic backgrounds to experience the joy and wonder the arts bring to our lives.
 

Mission

The mission of the Kathleen Monahan Foundation Fund is to support, promote and fund the arts in the greater Tarpon Springs area.

How it Began

The Kathleen Monahan Foundation Fund is the brainchild of Brent Wadsworth, the founder and CEO of Wadsworth Golf Construction Company. The Wadsworth Family’s decision to establish a foundation that would help support Tarpon Arts, the City of Tarpon Springs arts program, is just one of many examples of the family’s philanthropy and dedication to excellence in local community arts. The donation of a 9-foot concert grand Baldwin piano is one of the first instances of the family’s commitment to supporting superior performing arts experiences in Tarpon Springs.
A number of years ago, Mr. Wadsworth proposed that he would make a significant donation to a foundation that had as its mission to financially assist the Tarpon Arts program in providing artistic, professional, and enjoyable arts opportunities for the greater Tarpon Springs, Florida area. The one stipulation was that the foundation be named for the City’s Cultural and Civic Services Director, Kathleen Monahan, as a tribute to her role in working with the City to help revitalize the community through the arts, making it a recognized arts and cultural destination. The Kathleen Monahan Foundation Fund became a 501(c)3 not-for-profit corporation on December 12, 2012.
Brent-and-Jean-Wadsworth,-Founders Renowned-Artist-Chris-Still-and-Foundation-Honoree-KathleenMonahan Supporters-Opera-Star-Sherrill-Milnes-and-his-wife-MariaZouves

Courtesy of Tampa Bay Magazine: Photos by Margaret Word Burnside: (left to right) Founders-Brent and Jean Wadsworth, Artist Christopher M. Still and Foundation Honoree Kathleen Monahan, Supporters opera luminary Sherrill Milnes and Maria Zouves.

Where We Are Now

Since its inception, the Foundation Fund has held annual and biannual fundraising events featuring nationally and internationally acclaimed performing artists. Each year the KMFF provides funds to the Tarpon Arts program to enable under-served children and adults to attend and participate in performing arts events. The Foundation Fund successfully spearheaded the campaign to renovate and upgrade the Tarpon Springs Performing Arts Center, which included a much needed renovation and upgrading of the 295-seat Tarpon Springs Performing Arts Center. In 2017/2018 we funded renovation of the lobby area which includes updated seating, a quality vending area, enhanced art displays and community activity information availability. In our continuing efforts to make the Performing Arts Center an upscale, quality experience for patrons, KMFF funded the complete renovation of the ticketing area in 2019. The Kathleen Monahan Foundation Fund supports the mission of the Tarpon Arts program to the fullest extent, ensuring that entertainment and artistic excellence will be readily available to the entire Tarpon Springs area community now and for the future.
Early in 2021 our board of directors made the decision to rename the foundation as the Kathleen Monahan Foundation Fund. It is felt that the new name better reflects the function of the organization within the performing arts community of Tarpon Springs.