It has been almost three weeks since The Arts Council held its annual Celebrate the Arts event, and people are still raving about it. The event was themed “Back to the Future,” based on the 1985 Robert Zemeckis classic that featured a time traveling Michael J. Fox. The event included a night of nostalgic 50’s and 80’s music, costumes, and live performances by The Theatre Company and The Spazmatics. More than 600 guests attended the event at the Brazos County Expo Complex on Thursday, Sept. 7, with one common goal - to show their support for the arts.
Upon entering the event, guests were transported back in time via a “time portal” entrance. A tricked-out DeLorean with a flux capacitor, as well as the jukebox and many props from the original Back to the Future film had the room glowing with an energetic atmosphere, immersing visitors in the movie. The Spazmatics got everyone on their feet and dancing--a real “Back to the Future” sight--with event visitors shimmying and swinging to hits from the 1980s. This year marked The Arts Council’s most successful Celebrate the Arts to date.
The live auction portion of the evening exceeded all previous fundraising records. Among the six donated items auctioned off was the Villa Gilli Tuscan Getaway package, which sold for $24,000. Event guests joined forces by contributing over $20,000 to The Arts Council’s College Arts Scholarship fund, which enables deserving young artists from the Brazos Valley pursuing a degree in the arts. Another highlight of the evening was the jewelry raffle. This year’s raffle item was a uniquely designed, beautiful four-leaf clover pendant generously donated by David Gardner’s Jewelers, and won by Cheryl Pederson.
Celebrate the Arts also provided The Arts Council with the opportunity to recognize outstanding individuals and businesses in the Brazos Valley who have made a positive impact in the arts. Among those individuals recognized was Randy Wilson of the Theatre Company of Bryan/College Station. Sadly Randy passed away last year, and after a lifetime of achievements and dedication to the arts in the Brazos Valley, was posthumously honored with the M.L. “Sonny” Moss Artist of the Year award. In his absence Roger Pine, president of The Theatre Company, accepted the award. Additional individuals from the community were honored as well.
For more information on Celebrate the Arts visit www.acbv.org.
