This year’s “ART&SOUL” gala drew more than 700 attendees to Press Street Station, 5 Press Gallery and Solomon Family Hall in NOCCA’s Chevron Forum.
Co-Chaired by NOCCA alumni Celeste Marshall and Calvin Johnson Jr., the theme was “Home Is Where the Art Is,” and the focus was on what makes NOCCA so special: its students, staff and alumni.
NOCCA jazz students performed during the Patron Party, sponsored by the Arlene & Joseph Meraux Charitable Foundation, with Visual Arts students drawing portraits and Creative Writing students penning poems on the spot.
Gary Solomon Jr., a NOCCA Theatre Design alum, current Board President of The NOCCA Institute and President of Solomon Group Entertainment, once again donated his company’s creative and technical talents to produce the event.
The Gala was catered by Press Street Station, NOCCA’s Culinary Arts Department and two dozen revered local restaurants and chefs.
Entertainment featured many NOCCA alumni, including Calvin Johnson Jr., Roxie le Rouge, Sweet Crude and Big Sam’s Funky Nation. The live and silent auction featured vacation packages, artwork and one-of-a-kind experiences. This year’s auction was the most successful in “ART&SOUL” history, thanks to the committee and auctioneers, Mark Romig and Claire Elizabeth Thriffiley.
All proceeds from ART&SOUL support The NOCCA Institute, which invests in young artists, their mentors, and the community through programs that encourage educational and cultural innovation.
EVENT AT A GLANCE
What: “ART&SOUL: Home Is Where the Art Is,” benefiting The NOCCA Institute
When: Saturday, May 21
Where: Press Street Station, 5 Press Gallery and Solomon Family Hall in NOCCA’s Chevron Forum
