In April, the Brewery Arts Center will be hosting its Golden Jubilee — the first gala at the campus in many years, and will be to be the first of many more to come.
The gala will be the highlight of a year’s worth of activities to celebrate half a century in Carson City.
Executive Director Spike McGuire says the nonprofit is aiming to visually connect its two main properties — the historic brewery building and the performance hall located in the former church across the street — to create a cohesive arts district feel.
The plans for the design are going to be unveiled at the gala, which will include structural installations, wayfinding, artwork and more.
“The main reason that the board identified it as a big priority to unify the campus is because people often come to events in the brewery building, and have no idea that we have the performance hall across the street, and vice versa,” McGuire said.
The Gala will be held April 11 and will feature a seated dinner crafted by celebrity chef Mark Estee with performances by Canadian songwriter Bob Sumner among other performances and artwork stationed throughout the campus.
It will also include the unveiling of the Levitt Amp outdoor concert series lineup for this summer, which will be celebrating its 10th year.
The Gala is to become an annual tradition, which will allow fundraising for the nonprofit to continue its mission of providing arts and music programming in the community.
Tickets for this year’s event are $250 and are limited to an intimate number of 80 attendees.
“We’re celebrating the BAC, so we might as well just do it at the BAC where we can show off everything we have to offer,” McGuire noted. The gala will also feature a silent auction with experience packages donated from the community and regional sponsors such as festival passes, concert tickets and more.
The ambitious plans come on the heels of a difficult decision to cancel the “Carson City Lights” event earlier this month.
McGuire said the organization chose transparency and honesty out of the desire to protect the BAC’s reputation — even as the move resulted in a financial loss for the BAC.
However, the move also resulted in unexpected, and welcomed, community support.
“It was a difficult decision to come to, canceling Carson City Lights, because we had so much invested in it,” McGuire said. “But we love our community and we never want to let them down.”
Responses from the community showed those who had planned on attending were disappointed, but grateful to the BAC for being upfront — and many said they were even more willing to support the BAC on future experimental gambles knowing they will put the community before their own bottom line.
He noted that despite refunding 1,750 tickets, the honest approach resulted in some patrons donating their refunds back to the organization or converting them into memberships.
The memberships are another move that the BAC has been working to bring back and modernize since McGuire was put at the helm.
In the past, the BAC would provide membership holders with things like specialized merch. Now, memberships — which start at $50 per year — result in more direct value, including discounts on tickets, art purchases and rentals.
Starting March 10, the BAC is expanding the hours of its Exhibition Hall (formerly the coffee shop). The space will be open Tuesday through Saturday from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m., and Sundays from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.
The venue will serve Nevada-brewed beers and host smaller events, including poetry nights with the Spoken Views Collective and a St. Patrick’s Day party on March 17 featuring the band Plastic Patty.
The BAC has a robust schedule for the remainder of the year, including (but not limited to):
- Punk Rock Black Box: An all-ages punk show Feb. 27 featuring Boss’ Daughter and the John Dough Boys
- Madagascar Jr. the Musical, A Wild Horse Children’s Theater production running April 17-26.
- Levitt AMP Concert Series: Returning for its 10th year from June 20 through Aug. 29.
- Nevada Pride Festival: Scheduled for June 13.
Additionally, the Silver State Storytellers have taken over the classic movie events, offering themed months that pair short films with features.
“One thing we know for certain is that Carson City really wants to see more new arts programming,” McGuire said. “And we’re going to continue bringing it to them.”
