JAZZY HOLIDAY GALA

Guests at the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture's major annual fundraiser, the Jazzy Holiday Gala, donned festive formal attire for the celebration held at the Charlotte Convention Center. The evening featured cocktails, dinner, an awards ceremony and entertainment.

A highlight was the presentation of the Spirit of the Center Awards to three honorees who have made notable contributions to the Gantt Center, the arts and the greater Charlotte community: civic leader and founding Gantt Center board member Sarah Stevenson; Duke University Professor Richard J. Powell; and PNC Bank. The award recipients received a vessel crafted by master woodturner and exhibition curator Charles Farrar. 

"We were especially excited to recognize one of our very own, Ms. Sarah Stevenson, who has been involved with the Gantt Center since its inception as the Afro-American Cultural Center in 1974," said Gantt Center President & CEO David R. Taylor after the event. 

The gala's theme was "Art and Soul" and included a drawing for one of three cultural experiences with an acclaimed artist or a luxury stay at The Ritz-Carlton Charlotte. The fundraiser provides critical operating support for the Center and its educational programs. Details: www.ganttcenter.org.