“We became aware pretty early on that this crisis was going to be really hard on arts and culture. Venues were the first to close and arts and culture venues will be among the last to fully reopen so we came up with Big Night in For the Arts.”
– United Arts President Charles Phaneuf
Join WRAL-TV and the arts councils from Chatham, Durham, Orange, and Wake Counties tonight for the Big Night In for the Arts! The night will feature a diverse line-up of artists from each county. The main event airs on WRAL, live on-air and streaming, this Thursday, March 11, at 7pm.
The regional fundraising initiative seeks “to celebrate the arts community and help begin a path to recovery post-pandemic.” Proceeds will fund arts programming, initiatives for equity in the arts, and arts relief efforts.
“This the first time that the four arts councils in the Triangle – Wake County, Durham, Orange and Chatham County arts councils – have banded together to raise critically needed funds for the arts,” Durham Arts Council Executive Director Sherry Devries.
Organizers hope to raise at least a half million dollars to support the arts organizations in our community.
The night will feature performances by a super-star line-up, including Ariana DeBose, Tony-nominated actress/singer/dancer and Raleigh native; Mandolin Orange, nationally acclaimed folk music duo, based in Chapel Hill; Branford Marsalis, three-time Grammy Award® winner and internationally renowned saxophonist, based in Durham; and Mike Wiley, nationally acclaimed actor and playwright based in Chatham County; and Scotty McCreery, ACM and CMT Award-winning country music singer and Garner native.
Find out more about the Big Night In for the Arts and the star-studded line-up of performers: https://bignightin.org/
Before the main event, join the Big Night In for the Arts Digital Kickoff Party presented by RDU On Stage. Host Chanda Branch will preview the event, recent Piedmont Laureate Mimi Herman will create a live poem with attendees. Local artists will also chime in, and the team will thank the event’s generous sponsors. Watch live on RDU on Stage’s Facebook page, and United Arts’ Facebook and YouTube pages.
Be sure to tune in and watch on WRAL, live on-air and streaming, this Thursday, March 11, at 7pm.
Find out more, and donate, here: https://bignightin.org/
