GoggleWorks Center for the Arts announced Wednesday that it has received a series of new and expanded philanthropic gifts heading into 2026, significantly strengthening the organization’s ability to expand scholarships, youth education, and community-based creative educational experiences in response to growing demand.
These new and expanded gifts include $150,000 from Rawden Joint Ventures, $150,000 from Customers Bank, and $50,000 from Kevin Timochenko of the Metropolitan Group, all designated to support educational access and youth engagement at GoggleWorks.
“Customers Bank is proud to continue our long-standing support of GoggleWorks, expanding scholarships and youth education so more students and families can take part in programs that inspire, connect, and open doors,” said Tim Romig, Customers Bank Executive Vice President.
Additional support includes $9,000 from Tompkins Community Bank, along with new and continued gifts from Douglas Messinger ($20,000), GNS Enterprises 1, LP ($40,000), and Marty and Terri Stallone ($11,000), reflecting a broad base of leadership investment in GoggleWorks’ mission.
These contributions are complemented by $178,000 in continued leadership support from Sweet Street and Sandy Solmon, whose sustained commitment over multiple years has helped anchor GoggleWorks’ scholarship and youth programming. Collectively, these gifts will allow GoggleWorks to significantly expand the reach of its education and scholarship programs in 2026, ensuring that students who might otherwise be turned away due to capacity limitations can participate fully in high-quality creative educational experiences.
“The Rawden family is honored to join the many donors that share the vision of creating creative outlets for the community. We know first-hand, that fostering creativity can aid in someone’s success personally as well as professionally and we see it come to life in many of our McDonald’s managers and crew through creative problem solving. We are honored to help families kindle their creative spark, knowing that we are helping build a stronger community,” said Stephanie Rawden, McDonald’s Owner/Operator, President Rawden Joint Ventures (see photo).
With this expanded philanthropic support, GoggleWorks will advance several major initiatives:
- The launch of a new interactive family art space on the first floor of GoggleWorks, designed to provide hands-on creative experiences for families and young children.
- Full scholarships for children of first responders, ensuring access to arts education for those who serve the community and their families.
- New music scholarships, aligned with the growth of programs connected to GoggleWorks’ recording studio and the Thorn Alley venue, which opened in fall 2025 as part of the Art Park.
- Expanded services for more than two dozen community youth organizations, enabling workshops, classes, and deeper neighborhood-based engagement.
“Our programs are growing because families, educators, and young people are asking for more access to meaningful creative educational experiences,” said Levi Landis, Executive Director of GoggleWorks. “These gifts allow us to expand responsibly, deepen impact, and ensure that cost is never a barrier to a young person’s creativity.”
