TOMS RIVER – The Ocean County Vocational Technical School (OCVTS) Performing Arts Academy has received a $400,000 donation in support of performing arts education from the Gia Maione Prima Foundation, Inc.
The donation will benefit the construction of a new, 50,000 square foot black box theater at the OCVTS Performing Arts Academy. The project is expected to be completed in 2019. The Prima Foundation will also have the naming rights to the theater for 10 years.
Gia Maione Prima, the namesake of the foundation, was a New Jersey native and performer herself. She was a singer, an artist, and even married to famous jazz musician and composer Louis Prima. Louis Prima passed away in 1978 and Gia Maione Prima passed away in 2013.
Prior to her passing, she established The Prima Foundation in 2011 to make meaningful gifts to institutions that serve religious, charitable, scientific, literary, or educational endeavors.
The OCVTS Performing Arts Academy offers majors in theater, vocal, dance, and audio engineering. The Performing Arts Academy will be a specialized high school where students can achieve a high school diploma and associate’s degree at the same time.
 Performing Arts Academy has received a $400,000 donation in support of performing arts education){kind=link}