It Runs in the Family: How Jackie and Gary Bryson Became Visionaries

Piano runs in Jackie’s family the way some families pass down names.

“My mother played Irving Berlin, show tunes, songs that filled a room. My grandmother sat at the same bench before her, playing gospel hymns. My sister even attended Julliard. Three generations, one instrument, always going.”

But nothing compared to symphony nights.

“We lived sixty miles from Cincinnati, in a small Indiana town. Every so often, my dad’s boss would hand him a pair of tickets to the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. My parents would find a babysitter, dress to the nines and drive in for the evening. That was my first real window into the arts in this wonderful city. I was too young to understand what I was watching. I only knew it was important and it brought joy.”

“That feeling followed me everywhere — into my piano lessons, the May Festival Chorus and on every school field trip that put me in a Cincinnati theater seat.”

“Years later, sitting in The Children’s Theatre with our grandchildren, something clicked. The price of the ticket wasn’t covering the true cost of what I was seeing. Someone else was quietly making up the difference, so a child next to me could have this experience.”

That’s when giving stopped feeling optional.

“My husband Gary and I have done well — not because we started with money, but because we built something. When I think about what to do with that, the answer is simple: pay it forward, so the next generation can also access the joy generated by arts experiences.”

That’s why Jackie and Gary Bryson became ArtsWave Visionaries by including the ArtsWave Endowment in their future plans. As we celebrate ArtsWave’s 100th anniversary, we’re inviting supporters like them (and you!) to help secure the next century of arts and culture and ensure that future generations will experience the creative vitality that defines our community today.

Together, we can honor the past while building toward a future where arts and culture continue to fuel the Cincinnati region. Visit artswave.org/visionaries for more information.