The Avalon Foundation’s mission is focused on building a stronger community on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. During the pandemic we furthered this work in unexpected ways from creating a vaccination call center to opening a new live music venue. Post-pandemic, we have resumed and enhanced our live performances in the Theatre and Stoltz Listening Room, Plein Air Easton, and more.

Sara Ballantine Ryan lived most of her life in Talbot County, Maryland with her husband, Roderick (Rod) Newbold Ryan. An accomplished goldsmith and jewelry designer, Sara loved and appreciated the arts and relished every opportunity to visit art galleries and museums, and to experience live music and theatre. She encouraged a love of the arts in others, especially her own children, Christopher and Jonathan, and she generously supported programs that did so for others.

After Sara’s passing in January of 2022, her family collaborated with the Avalon Foundation to create the Sara B. Ryan Endowment Fund to honor her legacy and to make certain her good works and passion for arts education are remembered long into the future. The seed grant of $500,000 given by Sara’s family will be used to expand the much-needed Avalon Foundation arts programming for the children of Talbot County.

On Sept 16, 2022 the Avalon Foundation purchased the final part of the Theatre Building, the restaurant formerly known as Bannings Tavern. Reaching total site control of the Avalon Theatre building is an especially poignant milestone as the Theatre celebrates its 100th anniversary. Because community-building is the cornerstone of the Avalon Foundation’s mission, community input will be solicited prior to finalizing plans for the usage of this expanded space.

Please consider making a “mortgage lifter” gift of any amount in celebration of this momentous occasion.

With new seats installed in the Avalon Theatre balcony, a rare opportunity exists to place your name or the name(s) of a loved one on these seats/boxes for the lifetime of the seats.

Naming plaques will be placed in the boxes and name plates will be placed on the top of the seats. After your purchase is complete, you will receive a form to fill out so you can specify the wording on your plate. A representative from the Box Office will get back to you within 7 days to confirm your wording. Keep in mind that you may choose 1 or 2 lines of writing on your plate.