This is part of a series of monthly articles about people who support the University of Georgia Performing Arts Center.

Meet Dr. Janice Simon, Josiah Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professor of Art History, Professor of American Art, Lamar Dodd School of Art. She retired in September after 35 years of teaching, research, and service.

The arts, visual and performing, have been central to my life since I was a young girl. By the time, at the age of 16, that I decided to pursue a doctoral degree in art history so that I could teach on the college level, my fellow drama club friends introduced me to the wonders of classical music, and I became an aficionado for life — though I am totally incapable of carrying a tune.

Because I have been so enriched by the performing arts, with vivid memories of past events, I contribute to the Performing Arts Center so that live performances can continue to grace my life and that of the wider community. It is so gratifying to share the joys of performance with others including school groups, as I donate to the education fund of the PAC, along with individual performances. It is a special thrill to not only see the pleasure in the audience’s faces but also to meet the performers. Chamber music is a special love of mine, so I have established a legacy fund to spread the joy of live chamber music well after I am gone.

Learn how you can support the University of Georgia Performing Arts Center here.