Wilson Center

W I L S O N CENTER

Since opening in 2015

$19,358,251

Total Ticket Revenue 374,731 Tickets Sold

$1,636,266

Tax Revenue Generated*

The Wilson Center: CFCC’s Center Stage

Wilmington’s destination for national concerts, broadway tours, and performances, the Wilson Center can accommodate over 1,500 visitors and provides CFCC students with training and employment opportunities in the performing arts. Since opening our doors in 2015, we’ve employed over 80 CFCC students in our technical theatre and production departments. Beginning in 2019, paid internships aligned with CFCC students’ academic curriculum via a partnership with CFCC’s retention committee.

ECONOMIC IMPACT

Estimated annual economic impact of the Wilson Center: $17,000,000 Source: UNCW Cameron School of Business

*Tax revenue collected at box office for New Hanover County and the state of North Carolina

WE LOVE OUR VOLUNTEERS! Since 2015, the Center’s vibrant volunteer program has trained more than 1,000 volunteers who have contributed over 113,301 hours of service—valued at $1,444,588. Thank you — we couldn’t do it without you!

COMING SOON: Bandstand • Beautiful: The Carole King Musical An American in Paris • Trace Adkins • Cats • The Village People • Squeeze Boz Scaggs • Blue Man Group • Tenacious D • Mr. Holland’s Opus For status and updates on events that have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, please monitor WilsonCenterTickets.com/event-status.

The Color Purple - The Musical

Cats - Musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber

Many of the events we share in this report cover a span of time — from preparation to show-time. At the time of this printing, we found ourselves thrown into an unexpected journey — the COVID-19 pandemic. There is so much we hoped to share with you, but as of now, several shows we had planned for have been postponed or canceled. Something good, however, has occurred in the midst of this journey — an opportunity to help our local musicians and bring a smile to you.

The performing arts have the power to build and enrich our community. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Wilson Center, The Arts Council of Wilmington, and New Hanover County launched the Ghostlight Series to support area musicians affected by the restrictions and limitations put in place to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

The name “Ghostlight” originates from the bare bulb left illuminated, oftentimes, on the stages of unoccupied theatres. Without this bulb, the stage would be completely dark. This nightly series provided a light to our community by allowing local artists to share their talent virtually with the community and to receive support through donations collected by The Arts Council of Wilmington.

Streaming on WilsonCenterTickets.com, social media, and public radio station WHQR, the series featured a local or regional artist each evening.

wilsoncentertickets.com/ghostlight

BROADWAY FOR A BETTER WORLD

BFABW attendees enjoy The Illusionists: Magic of the Holidays

Since its inception in 2018, the Broadway For A Better World (BFABW) initiative has distributed $115,488 in tickets to community members and CFCC students.

The Wilson Center is committed to being a true community resource by allowing thousands of young people and under-served community members to experience our Broadway and Stars Series. Our generous private donors and grant program make this all possible. Through December 2020, BFABW has a donor matching every gift up to $25K. Show your support today: wilsoncentertickets.com/betterworld

Broadway for a Better World is a partnership between the Wilson Center and The Arts Council of Wilmington and New Hanover County. BFABW is designed to make performing arts accessible to under-served populations in New Hanover and Pender Counties.

nCino has committed to a two-year sponsorship of the naming of the MOVE Dance Series at CFCC’s Wilson Center, supporting the major arms for education and community and classroom engagement for the Wilson Center. The series provides freeof-charge, world-class dance, cross-curricular educational programming, and performances to thousands of CFCC students, New Hanover and Pender County School students, disenfranchised youth, senior citizens, disabled individuals, teachers, and dancers in New Hanover County.

nCino partners with the Wilson Center to help share the joy of dance

W I L S O N CENTER

We are pleased to announce that our own Shane Fernando, Executive and Artistic Director of the Wilson Center, has been named Presenter of the Year in North America by North American Performing Arts Managers and Agents (NAPAMA). Every year, NAPAMA recognizes a presenter through the NAPAMA Award for Excellence in Presenting. The recipient is chosen based on three criteria: exemplary mentoring; setting an example of best practices, achievement and leadership; and cultivating and promoting diversity, practicing inclusion and creating equity for under-served members of our community.

2019 CFCC FACES

SHANE FERNANDO Executive & Artistic Director, the Wilson Center NAPAMA Presenter of the Year

“Shane has done tremendous work at the Wilson Center and his leadership has propelled the Center to great success. He heads a terrific team who all have worked diligently to create a wonderful experience for each guest at the Wilson Center. Shane has also worked to involve our students in every production at the Center. Because of his dedication, our students gain valuable and unique work experience while they study here. Shane is also deeply committed to arts education and access to the arts for all populations. His passion for the performing arts has benefited our college and our community beyond measure. We are happy his hard work is being recognized by NAPAMA, and hope that the programs he has put in place will be adopted by venues across America and beyond.” —CFCC President Jim Morton

About NAPAMA: Founded in 1979, NAPAMA is a not-for-profit service organization dedicated to promoting the professionalism of its members and the vitality of the performing arts. NAPAMA’s membership is comprised of agents, managers, booking agencies, self-represented artists, associations, presenters, and consultants across North America. Its mission is to promote the best interests of professionals engaged in the touring of the performing arts through building and sharing knowledge, advocacy, leadership, and innovation.

WILMA DANIELS

GALLERY FACULTY ART SHOW 2019

We can’t help but boast about our team, and with good reason! Each year CFCC’s Wilma Daniel’s Gallery presents an amazing Faculty Art Show that highlights the talent of our visual arts faculty in areas such as painting, drawing, printmaking, ceramics, sculpture, photography, and graphic design. To the left we’ve highlighted a painting by art instructor, Deborah Quinn.

2019 presenting artists: Ben Billingsley, Geoff Calabrese, Rick Conn, Brandon Guthrie, Jennifer Mace, Kendall Martin, Marsha Mills, Victoria Paige, Abby Spangel Perry, Deborah Quinn, Casey Scharling, Nicole Wilkinson, and Sharon Wozniak Spencer wilmadanielsgallery.com