Philanthropist Elaine Wynn has committed $5 million to establish The Elaine Wynn Studio for Arts Education at The Smith Center for the Performing Arts. The donation is the largest contribution from any individual to The Smith Center, a $470 million performing arts and education center in downtown Las Vegas.

"We are incredibly thankful for both the donation and support Elaine Wynn has shown The Smith Center from its inception. The Elaine Wynn Studio will serve as a source of inspiration and exploration for school children across the Las Vegas community. This contribution exemplifies Mrs. Wynn's decades-long commitment to enhancing life for all Las Vegas residents and her specific focus on education which has been nothing short of extraordinary."said Donald D. Snyder, Chairman of the Board of The Smith Center.

The Elaine Wynn Studio will include classrooms, conference rooms and offices for education program staff, interns and artists in residence. It will be housed in the five-story, 70,000 square-foot Boman Pavilion. The building's two performance spaces, a studio theater and cabaret theater, will also be used for children's theater and educational programming.

Future events in the Elaine Wynn Studio will include hands-on learning experiences with performing and visual artists, master-classes, workshops and individualized instruction from established artists.

Mrs. Wynn is a board member of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, which recently designated Las Vegas as its fourth partner city for Any Given Child, a program dedicated to provide a long-range arts education plan for students in grades K-8. The Smith Center's leadership in pursuing the Any Given Child program in partnership with the community and the Clark County School District is the latest reflection of the central role of education and community outreach at The Smith Center.

"The arts are not meant to exist for only a select few. Why wouldn't we want all of our children to experience creativity, either as artists themselves or people who delight in or are stimulated by the works of others? With exposure and guidance, children can partake in the passion and joy of individual expression. No matter what one's circumstance, no negative condition can rob the soul of imagination and longing. This is a lesson we must pass on to our children." said Elaine Wynn