Seat Naming Campaign Extends a Legacy

Fred and Carol Logan don’t just talk about their support for the arts–they act on it. Among many other activities, Fred has been on the board of the Arts Council of Metropolitan Kansas City for five years and became its chair a year ago. On Feb. 5, Carol will complete almost three years of training to become a docent at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.

So it’s not surprising that the Logan family decided to fund two seats at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts through the Seat Naming Campaign. “This new facility, like the Nelson, is so representative of the excellence in the arts that Kansas City offers,” says Fred Logan. “Our family definitely wants to be part of it.”

When Peggy and Terry Dunn invited the Logans to a dinner held last year to introduce the Kauffman Center to a few friends, Fred and Carol immediately knew that they wanted to get involved. “Isaac Franco, one of the architects, spoke to us and we knew that what was being built is exceptional and will really set Kansas City apart,” Carol shared recently.

While they were impressed that the building itself will be a unique, iconic structure for the region to celebrate, the Logans were more entranced by the opportunity the Kauffman Center provides to reach new audiences, including children and young people.

“We are really excited about the idea that kids from all over the region will come to the center and get to participate as audiences and, sometimes, as performers,” Fred replied when asked about the motivation for their gift. The Logans have made a direct contribution to name one seat and have signed a multi-year pledge to support a second. Contributions to the Seat Naming Campaign support the Kauffman Center’s operating endowment.

Fred Logan is a partner in Logan, Logan and Watson, LLC, a law firm based in Prairie Village. The Logans live in Leawood and know how important the arts are to the region. Fred writes a bi-weekly column for the Kansas City Business Journal and has written two columns about the Kauffman Center, stressing the iconic nature of the building as well as the importance of the educational programs it will offer.

“People, particularly young people deciding where to live, want to live in an area with great cultural amenities,” Fred emphasized. “We care about this for our children and for others considering living in our region. The arts are crucial to attracting the workforce our community needs to stay vibrant.”

Carol says that they chose to put their names and those of their three sons, Andy,
Sam and Jack on the nameplates that will appear on the seats. “We hope that having their names within the building will build their interest in the arts, too.”

“I just think it’s going to have a profoundly beneficial impact on all the arts organizations in the region,” says Fred. “The Kauffman Center will definitely raise the visibility of the arts in our region, an important goal of the Arts Council.”

Learn more about the Seat Naming Campaign and how you can get involved.

For more information, message contact@kauffmancenter.org.