The Hylton Performing Arts Center celebrated its 5th Anniversary Season Gala on the evening of Saturday, April 11, 2015. This highly-anticipated annual benefit event supports the Hylton Center’s mission to entertain, educate and enrich the Northern Virginia community by providing diverse and accessible arts experiences in state-of-the-art venues. The event raised more than $209,000 in funds for the Sen. Charles J. Colgan Community Arts Benefit Fund, which enables Resident Arts Partners and Affiliate Arts Organizations to perform at the Hylton Center at greatly reduced rates and consider it their artistic home.
The 5th Anniversary Gala honored William Reeder, dean of George Mason University’s College of Visual and Performing Arts, which includes the Hylton Performing Arts Center. Reeder plans to retire this May after serving as dean since 2001, and will continue teaching at Mason.
The gala also honored Novant Health, which has served as the Hylton Presents Season Sponsor for the past five performance seasons since the Hylton Center opened in 2010, and will continue its sponsorship for the 2015-2016 season. Melissa Robson, president of Novant Health, accepted the awards on the organization’s behalf.
Both honorees received an award of appreciation for their service to the Prince William County and City of Manassas communities and to the Hylton Performing Arts Center. Briana Sewell, a representative for Congressman Gerry Connolly, presented each with a certificate and entered them into the Congressional Record.
Co-chaired by Randall Edwards and Rich Seraydarian, the gala began with a formal reception in the Didlake Grand Foyer featuring music by jazz students from George Mason University School of Music, followed by a dinner on the Merchant Hall stage and tributes to the honorees by Rick Davis, executive director of the Hylton Center; Ángel Cabrera, president of George Mason University; and others. The evening concluded with dancing in the Didlake Grand Foyer, featuring The Barry Gurley Quartet, and a jazz cabaret in the Gregory Family Theater by The Darden Purcell Quartet with vocal jazz students from Mason’s School of Music. Catering was provided by RSVP Catering and wines were provided by WineStyles of Montclair.
