“Why I Give” is a recurring series of articles about the people who support the University of Georgia Performing Arts Center.
Meet Malcolm and Priscilla Sumner. He is a retired UGA Regents’ Professor of crop and soil sciences who did 20 years of international consulting. She is a former nurse and chair of the Athens Area Emergency Food Bank, where she volunteered for more than 30 years. They were at the PAC’s opening gala performance by soprano Jessye Norman in 1996, and have now lived in Athens longer than in their native South Africa. This season they supported the November appearance by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra (ASO).
Malcolm Sumner: When we came here, this was a cultural desert. There was nothing here. We started supporting the music school. When the PAC started, we decided to contribute to it because we are both fans of classical music.
Priscilla Sumner: We are so lucky to have these artists come to Athens. For the size of this little town, it never ceases to amaze me. Yo-Yo Ma came to Athens! It’s mind-boggling. And he’s been here twice!
Malcolm: We love the ASO when they come to Athens. Oh, man. Sweet music! They love coming to Athens because of the acoustics.
Priscilla: The acoustics in the PAC are famous.
Malcolm: We’ve enjoyed every performance but maybe one or two in the period of 30 years. The quality has been excellent. The PAC is the best addition to Athens there’s ever been, it’s my humble opinion.
Learn how you can support the University of Georgia Performing Arts Center here.
