The Visible School will receive a $5,000 donation from Universal Fairs, which puts on the Delta Fair. An anonymous donor matches every dollar raised, so ''it's really a $10,000 donation," said the school's Crystal Bergman, with Darrin Hillis and Mark Lovell of Universal Fairs.

From The Commercial Appeal:

A private Christian music and worship arts college will receive a contribution to its capital campaign from the presenters of a popular family music fair.

The Visible School will receive a $5,000 donation from Universal Fairs, which puts on the Delta Fair. An anonymous donor matches every dollar raised, so ”it’s really a $10,000 donation,” said the school’s Crystal Bergman, with Darrin Hillis and Mark Lovell of Universal Fairs.

Universal Fairs, presenter of the Delta Fair & Music Festival that ends this weekend at the Agricenter in Memphis, announced it will donate $5,000 to Visible School, a private college focusing on music production in Christian ministries.

Visible School, temporarily located in Cooper-Young, has been raising funds to buy the former C&I Bank building at 200 Madison Downtown, designed by Francis Gassner.

Universal Fairs president Mark Lovell said the donation was made possible by musicians scheduled to perform at the Delta Fair on Sunday, which is designated as a Christian music day called One Day.

Since the fair’s inception in 2007, the bands have waived their fees so that Universal could make a donation to a nonprofit.

In 2007 the donation went to the Memphis Union Mission, and in 2008 to the Neighborhood Christian Center.

“A lot of great Christian bands donated their time and effort, so the musicians should get the credit,” said Lovell. “They volunteered their time and talent so that we could take the money we allocated and donate it.”

Artists Jeremy Horn, Mr. Del and Lily Rubio are scheduled as headliners for One Day.

“We have an anonymous donor who matches every dollar that we raise, so it’s really a $10,000 donation,” said Crystal Bergman, assistant to the president of Visible School.

Ken Steorts, president and founder of the school, said that the school has raised $400,000 toward its October closing deadline on the new building.

With renovations, equipment purchases and green technology enhancements, the the school hopes to raise $6 million. The school has about 100 students currently enrolled.

“What we’re ultimately excited about is Visible School being really present on One Day, having our artists out and having this music community that we’re all a part of,” said Bergman, who along with her husband moved to Memphis from San Luis Obispo, Calif., and graduated from Visible School.

The nondenominational Visible School was founded in 2000 and offers a three-year bachelor’s degree and a one-year certificate program.

“We didn’t want to target anything that was specifically linked to one church or one denomination,” said Darrin Hillis, director of marketing for Universal Fairs.

He said that Universal Fairs intends to make the same donation to a group next year.

Visible School is scheduled to open in the Downtown building in 2010.