MANASSAS – (Press Release) The Hylton Performing Arts Center hosted the 9th Anniversary Gala and After Party with great success. The sold-out Gala welcomed more than 400 guests to celebrate 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 $200,000, which will support the performances and programs at the Hylton Center, including educational programs and the Veterans and the Arts Initiative. 10% of the proceeds will also support the Hylton Center’s Endowment, ensuring artistic excellence now and in the years to come.
The 9th Anniversary Gala honored Buchanan Partners, who have been instrumental in the shaping of the Hylton Performing Arts Center’s mission to not only support the performing arts, but also the visual arts through the Buchanan Partners Art Gallery.
The event also honored Nancy Hersch Ingram, a lifelong visual artist and founding supporter of the Hylton Center. Hersch Ingram provided both visionary artistic influence as well as philanthropic support to ensure its success, especially of the visual arts.
The event began with a cocktail reception and silent auction with works from regional artists and George Mason University alumni in the Didlake Grand Foyer, followed by dinner on the Merchant Hall stage and tributes to the honorees. The Gala then featured a lively live auction for a European Viking River Cruise for two, then the auctioneer led a “Raise Your Paddle” to raise funds for the Hylton Center’s Veterans and the Arts Initiative, which brought in more than $35,000 towards the program.
The party for a cause continued with the Gala’s After Party featuring signature bourbon and gin craft cocktails by MurLarkey Distilled Spirits; savory snacks and sweet desserts; a jazz lounge in the Didlake Grand Foyer, featuring Mason School of Music’s Darden Purcell; and music by one of D.C.’s leading dance bands—Keynote—in the Gregory Family Theater. Guests of the Gala and After Party received a sneak peek at construction of the new Education and Rehearsal Wing.
