Transformative Gift Names Jeanne Tannenbaum Center for Creative Practice

A transformational gift to UNC Greensboro’s Light the Way: The Campaign for Earned Achievement by alumna Jeanne Tannenbaum ’64 has named the future arts and culture-driven facility for creative collaboration at the corner of Tate Street and Gate City Boulevard. As the gateway to UNCG’s campus, the Jeanne Tannenbaum Center for Creative Practice will serve as the landmark anchor of the Tate Street Arts and Culture District as envisioned in UNCG’s Millennial Campus Initiative. The Center is slated to open in 2025.

You may see updates on the project’s progress here.

UNCG Chancellor Franklin D. Gilliam, Jr., said “Jeanne’s gift to create the Jeanne Tannenbaum Center for Creative Practice will launch UNCG’s Millennial Campus and elevate our national presence. This cutting-edge center will ignite creativity in an array of forms and through multiple disciplines. Jeanne’s generosity will propel UNCG’s impact in the community and across the nation, and we are incredibly grateful for her leadership.”  

The Jeanne Tannenbaum Center for Creative Practice will have three main objectives: to be a hive of creativity and academic innovation, serving as an incubator for impactful new and existing work; to attract and enroll new students because of the unique leadership and hands-on learning opportunities it provides; and to serve as a catalyst for innovation, bringing academics, community members, and luminaries together to create solutions to local and global challenges. The technology available will go beyond support of the arts; it will provide a tool for teaching, research, and community development with boundless potential. 

“As a proud UNCG alumna, I found my path toward graduate school and professional achievement here,” says Tannenbaum. “The Center will encourage our students, faculty, and Greensboro community to collaborate in new ways of learning and engaging with one another.  I am honored to have a legacy at the University that has meant so much to me.”

Jeanne Tannenbaum graduated from UNC Greensboro in 1964 with a Bachelor of Arts in economics. She went on to complete a Master’s of Hospital Administration program at Duke University in 1973. During her career, Tannenbaum held key administrative and leadership roles in national hospitals including Boston Hospital for Women, Johns Hopkins Medical Center, and the Greenville Hospital System. She later did national consulting in the healthcare field.

Committed to the betterment of the community, Tannenbaum is a prolific volunteer and advocate. She has served her alma mater for decades in various capacities. Notably, she has held roles on numerous UNCG boards including the Excellence Foundation Board, Weatherspoon Art Museum Foundation Board, School of Nursing Advisory Board, Friends of the Library Board, and the Light the Way Campaign Cabinet. In addition, she has played a key leadership role with numerous organizations ranging from arts to education, including leadership roles on several boards of Duke University. 

The Jeanne Tannenbaum Center for Creative Practice is part of UNCG’s Light the Way: The Campaign for Earned Achievement.  This comprehensive fundraising campaign seeks to raise $200 million to increase access, elevate academic excellence, and enhance the tremendous impact of UNCG’s programs. Visit lighttheway.uncg.edu for additional information.

Photo taken moments before the announcement at March 24 Board of Trustees meeting: Chancellor Gilliam, Jeanne Tannenbaum, and UNCG Board of Trustees Chair Betsy Oakley ’69 (l-r).

This post was updated on Dec. 7. 2022.