
FRIENDS of UIS Performing Arts Center are donors who play a pivotal role in fostering opportunities within our local community. FRIENDS provide vital support for performances by renowned artists, essential enhancements to our facilities, and enriching experiences for local children. Donations to FRIENDS are recognized through a membership program that provides unique benefits based on the level of giving. If you’re looking for the best seat opportunities and a VIP experience from start to finish, this is the membership for you.
Please note: FRIENDS Memberships take a few days to activate, if you want to purchase subscriptions immediately, please call the UIS Ticket Office for instant membership
at (217) 206-6160.
For an overview of all membership levels and benefits, click here.
Because of donors like you:

Sensory friendly performance by folk music artist, Chris Vallillo.

Staley Class Acts performance for school-age children.
Checks can be mailed to:
FRIENDS of UIS Performing Arts Center
University of Illinois at Springfield
One University Plaza, MS PAC 397
Springfield, IL 62703
Make check payable to: UIS PAC FRIENDS
Special Project HIGHLIGHT
This quarter we are highlighting
Our Stage / Our Voices
Our Stage / Our Voices is a program
formed to take a leadership role in
cultivating an environment whereby
members of historically
underrepresented communities
address the issues of inequality in the
regional performing arts with the goal
of achieving diversity and inclusion.
To learn more about this amazing
program or to show your support
through donation, click here.
Donor HIGHLIGHT

Meet Jim and Annette Bellm. Jim and Annette have deep roots in and around Carlinville and both sides of the family go back for generations as farmers in the area. Jim says they first met as children at church and started dating before he could drive a car. Annette shares that April will mark 50 years together.
The couple have two sons, grown now, and they could not be more proud. When their eldest was in second grade, his teacher told the couple to “stretch” and challenge him with outside events and activities.
After accompanying his class on a field trip to Sangamon Auditorium to see a Class Acts show, Annette went home and told Jim what an amazing place it was. The couple agreed this would provide the opportunity they were looking for to expand the minds of their children. The first show they attended
as a family was Jesus Christ Superstar and they have been faithfully coming ever since. They also learned about the Springfield Muni through advertising at the Sangamon Auditorium and added that as a regular summer activity. In case you’re wondering, that eldest son is now an astrophysicist and his parents credit exposure to the arts as one of the key pieces in “stretching” his brain to learn about the whole world around him.
They speak very fondly of their early experiences at Sangamon Auditorium and the spaces that would later become the UIS Performing Arts Center. “Back then you really were heading out into the middle of a corn field to see a show. I remember driving down this gravel road and going over a ditch. I think we parked where there is now student housing. It’s been amazing to see everything grow and develop.” Once their boys started college, Jim and Annette became Broadway subscribers and also started donating to FRIENDS. Jim encourages others to support the UIS Performing Arts Center. “It’s a way to be a part of something bigger.”
When asked about their favorite moments, Jim recalls a production of Les Miserables and Annette raves about the recent Holiday Open House. Annette says there are multitudes of fond memories. “It feels like coming home. Our life is so much richer because we have this opportunity.”