Watson Bird Club 16 LCVA Winter Gala

from Farmville the Magazine — April 22

Congratulations Lancers

Navona Hart celebrating her number being drawn as winner of a Casablanca inspired prize package

A huge success LCVA Winter Gala The Longwood Center for the Visual Arts welcomed more than 550 arts supporters to its This was a ninth biennial winter gala on Saturday, March table setting 5. The gala is the best attended event of its in Breakfast kind in the region and was also the first large at Tiffany’s in person event hosted by the museum since Lounge. its 2020 gala. This year’s gala raised more than Richard McClintock $250,000 in support the LCVA’s community designed outreach programs. LCVA executive director the Tiffany Rachel Talent Ivers said “the LCVA is – and & Co. always has been – free for everyone. We believe inspired there should be no barriers to transformative LCVA experience of the visual arts. Because of the

monogram

and the generosity of our supporters, we can ensure beautiful meaningful experiences for all segments of our flowers community.” are by Gala attendees delighted in an elegant Rochette’s evening inspired by the Golden Age of HolFlorist. lywood, enjoying food, drink, and live music and dancing with the Motown stylings of

Photos by Teddy Hodges, Courtney Vogel and Connor Thompson

Klaxton Brown. A surprise dance performance by Carrington and Crafton Academy of Performing Arts and live auction rounded out the entertainment. Gala sponsors and their ticketed guests also enjoyed an exclusive sponsors-only reception, which included early access to the sale galleries. The highlight of the event for many, however, was the opportunity to reconnect and celebrate with friends for the first time in two years.

This enthusiasm for in person engagement was reflected in the event’s selling out of reserved tables this past November - three months prior to the event - resulting in an extremely limited availability of individual tickets. “Due to capacity limits, we offered reserved table sponsorships to the previous year’s sponsors first before opening it up to new sponsors. The overwhelmingly positive response was so gratifying, and made everything we do at the LCVA feel even more fulfilling on a personal as well as professional level,” said LCVA Community Engagement Director Lisa Tharpe.

The event’s presenting sponsor and co-chair, Navona Hart of Century 21 Realty, shared her reason for her longtime support of the gala and the LCVA. “I believe every person deserves access to the arts. Art opens up the mind, shows possibilities of the world, creates dreams, and fosters creativity.” She was joined as co-chair by her husband, David Hart, who commented, “We love the programs that the LCVA provides to our communities.”

The Harts were joined as lead sponsors by North Street Press Club - Nash and Mindy Osborn; Northwestern Mutual - Candy and Chuck Dowdy; Haley Automall - Chris and Melissa Call; Green Front Furniture - Dickie and Den Cralle; YakAttack - Luther and Anastasiia Cifers; and Helton House - Ed and Mike Helton.