Submitted by Washington Center for the Performing Arts
The CENTER Stage Awards & Gala will be held on Saturday, February 22, 2025. The event is a fundraiser for the Washington Center and an opportunity to celebrate local artists and supporters of the arts. “This year’s gala will be a progressive evening of celebration, philanthropy, and music,” says Jill Barnes, Executive Director.
During the gala, the Excellence in the Arts awards will be given to those whose work, support, and creativity help build a vibrant cultural community. This year’s Achievement in the Arts awards will be awarded to Nikki McClure, a self-taught papercut artist. Nikki grew up in Kirkland, graduated from Evergreen State College, and has made her home in Olympia since 1986. Nikki creates papercuts using an X-Acto knife in a style partially inspired by Works Progress Administration posters. Barnes says, “You can see Nikki’s signature work all over Olympia, marking neighborhoods and areas of town. You’ll also see her books in store front windows – she’s ubiquitous with Olympia.”
McClure’s early work involved creating t-shirts and album artwork for friends and Olympia-area bands. She was part of the music, art, and riot grrrl scene in the 90s, working with the indie record labels Kill Rock Stars and K Records, as well as the riot grrrl movement. She has authored and illustrated 22 books and has produced an annual calendar since 1998. Her many books for children are a lasting legacy. Nikki’s work teaches us how to see the place we are so fortunate to live, and her activism teaches us how to care for the earth and live an embodied life. Barnes adds, “Nikki’s latest book, Something About the Sky, written by Rachel Carson, was just selected as one of The New York Times’ best children’s books of 2024 in the last week!”
This year’s Commitment to the Arts award will be awarded to Cheryl Selby, Olympia’s mayor from 2015-2023. As mayor, Cheryl was a fearless champion for the arts. She made it her mission to keep the arts front and center, even during tough times, showing how a strong focus on creativity can bring people together. During her time as mayor, Cheryl helped downtown Olympia earn its designation as a Washington State Creative District, secured the historic Armory as a Creative Campus, and led the campaign to pass the Cultural Access program, Inspire Olympia.
These major initiatives, combined with Cheryl’s feet-on-the-ground presence at local artistic productions and personal love and support for South Sound’s creative community, encouraged and empowered others to speak up for the power of the arts. Barnes says, “Thanks to Cheryl’s tireless work, local arts organizations will have access to more funding and resources.” In its first year alone, Inspire Olympia provided over $2 million in grants to 60 creative nonprofits, paving the way to a brighter future for the arts in our community.
The CENTER Stage Awards & Gala will begin with the awards and gala at the Heritage Room and progress to Washington Center for a performance by post-modern diva Meow Meow. Meow Meow has hypnotized, inspired, and terrified audiences globally with unique creations and sell-out seasons from New York’s Lincoln Center and Berlin’s Bar Jeder Vernunft to London’s West End and the Sydney Opera House. Performing with Pink Martini at the Washington Center in January 2024, Meow Meow stole the show with her cabaret-style guest appearance!
Named one of the “Top Performers of the Year” by The New Yorker, the spectacular crowd-surfing artist has been called “sensational” (The Times, UK), a “diva of the highest order” (New York Post), “The Queen of Chanson” (Berliner Zeitung), and “a phenomenon” by the Australian press.
The entire evening will raise funds for the Washington Center. A special fund-a-need will focus on education and outreach to help bring students to the theater. Tickets for the awards and gala are $215 per person and include premium-seating at the performance. Tickets for only Meow Meow’s performance range from $25-$69. All ticket options are available here.
Washington Center for the Performing Arts is a not-for-profit performance venue with a mission to inspire audiences and artists of all ages through live performances, enriching the vibrancy of our community.
Box Office Information
- Box Office hours are Tuesday through Saturday 12 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
- For ticketing questions or more information about upcoming events please visit the Washington Center for the Performing Arts website or call the Box Office at 360.753.8586.
