On April 23, 2022, The Frederick Gunn School community gathered to officially celebrate the opening of the Thomas S. Perakos Arts and Community Center, honoring in person the donors who made the 32,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art building possible.
Originally planned for May 2020 and delayed by the pandemic, the celebration was worth the wait. Board Chair Patrick Dorton '86 joined Trustee Emeritus Jonathan Tisch '72 and Mr. Perakos in cutting the ribbon outside the main entrance, followed by performances in the 415-seat Tisch Family Auditorium by the Sherman Chamber Ensemble, Pilobolus and the New Orleans Jazz Experience.
Mr. Perakos was joined by his brother Peter, his wife Deborah and their daughter Nicole, while his mother, then age 101, watched by livestream and sent a note read aloud to the gathering.
"It's all about the arts to me, and the gift that it gives to anybody with any creativity. This building will be for all the children who follow me in the name of my beloved family, and I'm just overwhelmed, and so grateful that I was able to participate in this."
Thomas S. Perakos '69
The day also marked the dedication of the Perakos Family Cares Art Gallery, established by Mr. Perakos and the Class of 1969 in honor of beloved teacher and coach Wallace H. Rowe III. Since opening, the center has hosted the Litchfield Jazz Festival, a Cleve Gray retrospective, Pilobolus Ball Weekend and the filming of the PBS program Common Ground with Jane Whitney, and the school has seen more than 70 percent growth in applications.