Grass Valley, Calif. (September 18, 2020)— All the stars of Nevada County watched The Center for the Arts 2020 Gala on Friday, September 18th. This important fundraising event raised support for The New Center’s new broadcasting capabilities.
The hybrid event featured dinner by Eye of the Avocado catering and entertainment by Le Jazz Hot. Guests danced the night away to a broadcast of Pop Rocks live From The Center.
Gin & Jazz was filled with emotions as guests celebrated the broadcasting capabilities at The Center while yearning to return to live shows. While a few guests joined and watched the large screen in The Center’s new Backstage Bar in the back parking lot, most attendees watched the livestream from home.
“Our gala has been growing in popularity the last few years,” said Amber Jo Manuel, Executive Director. Even though we couldn’t be in the same room together, we were intent on trying to make this event as fun as possible. The completion and opening of The Center and our 20th Anniversary is not only a landmark event for The Center but for the entire community. It was time to celebrate and I could not be more thrilled to celebrate this momentous occasion knowing so many friends of The Center were watching. The goal of this gala was to raise funds to help purchase cameras, cables, tripods and other important equipment to continue our broadcast series.
The Live Auction, led by auctioneer Greg Quiroga, was filled with fun prizes that included a VIP Indycar experience with local driver, Alexander Rossi, an opportunity to name the new main stage for one year, and Nevada County Love gift basket sponsored by local businesses! The Fund-the-Need paddle raise will be open until Friday. The Center needs to raise at least another $20,000 to get the most critical pieces of equipment to continue its broadcasting of local artists. We hope the community will help us reach our Fund-The-Need goal.
The Center for the Arts is proud of its incredible staff, crew and volunteers that worked so hard to make this event a success, and would like to recognize Gala Chairperson, Lisa Swarthout, for her commitment to The Center and to the arts in Nevada County
Special thanks to the 2020 Gala Event sponsors including Cornerstone Accounting, Hills Flat Lumber Company, Stucki Jewellers, Mimi Simmons, Alexander Rossi, Living Outdoors Landscapes, Grass Valley Brewing Company, Roost, Nevada County Sheriff, Shannan Moon, Nevada City Winery, Weiss Landscaping, Carolines Coffee, Mountain Recreation, Rare Earth Landscape Materials, Grass Valley CourtyardSuites, Emily’s Catering, Natural Selection, Mother Truckers, Yuba Blue, Elevation 2477, Ben Franklin, and Margaret Crosby Art.
Gin and Jazz successfully raised $78,057 for The Center for the Arts. The fundraiser remains open through Friday, September 25, as they hope to raise the additional $20,000 to reach their goal to procure needed equipment. You can watch a replay of the broadcast and make donations on the event web page at https://thecenterforthearts.org/gala.
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Since 2000, The Center for the Arts, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization, has grown into a leading presenter of music, dance, theater, comedy, literary and visual art, and family programming offering more than 150 events per year from its location in downtown Grass Valley. The Center recently completed a major renovation of its multiuse 21,000-square-foot facility in downtown Grass Valley making it a premier performing arts destination. The venue includes the main stage which accommodates up to 492 guests in configurable theater seats, up to 700 patrons for dance shows, and a 90-seat studio theater.
