Mariah Ghant, Patti Grimes: (Don’t) Undervalue the Arts | How to (Not) Kill Your Community
In this episode, Stuart Comstock-Gay sits down with Mariah Ghant of Delaware Shakespeare and Patti Grimes of the Freeman Arts Pavilion to explore how the arts create space for connection across difference.
Mariah Ghant is the Producing Artistic Director of Delaware Shakespeare. Before she assumed the position in 2024, she served as the Artistic Associate and Literary Manager at the Wilma Theater in Philadelphia. An accomplished actress, Mariah portrayed Hippolyta/Titania in Delaware Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Marc Antony in Julius Caesar, and took on the title role in Macbeth. She has also been a member of Delaware Shakespeare’s Artistic Squad, contributing to the organization’s creative initiatives in a variety of ways including being a teaching artist, developing new events, and directing short programs. Originally from the suburbs of Chicago, Mariah is an alumna of Vassar College.
Patti Grimes is the Executive Director of the Freeman Arts Pavilion and the Carl M. Freeman Foundation. Under her leadership, the Freeman Arts Pavilion has welcomed over a million visitors since 2008. She also oversees the Carl M. Freeman Foundation, which has granted over $60 million to nonprofit organizations. Grimes serves as Vice Chair for Delaware Technical Community College and serves as a Board Member for Leadership Delaware. With over four decades at the Carl M. Freeman Companies, she continues to foster community engagement and cultural growth in the region.
About How to (Not) Kill Your Community: Delaware Community Foundation President & CEO Stuart Comstock-Gay gathers insights from remarkable experts across Delaware, each offering their perspective on what it takes to build and sustain thriving communities for the long haul.
About the Delaware Community Foundation: The DCF stands at the intersection of generosity and community transformation. It manages charitable funds, advises donors and grants to nonprofits to cultivate the future of philanthropy in Delaware. Our mission is to expand opportunity for all by helping individuals, families, businesses and organizations focus their generosity where it can create the greatest impact statewide. Through convening, connecting, providing leadership on important issues and investing in community needs, the DCF empowers Delawareans to build a stronger, more vibrant future. https://delcf.org/