Submitted by Washington Center for the Performing Arts
The CENTER Stage Awards & Gala will be held on Saturday, March 7, 2026. 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. According to Barnes, “Our committee found it incredibly difficult to choose this year’s awardees, which just speaks to the incredible talent in our region.”
This year’s Achievement in the Arts awards will be awarded to Janice Arnold, a textile and installation artist who blurs the boundaries among science, fine art, craft, cultural history, and public engagement. Her practice is rooted in and informed by her time studying and working with Indigenous Nomads of Central Asia and Mongolia. Equally an artist, inventor, and presenter, she uses innovative approaches and techniques to create a wide range of art and installations that honor the origins of Felt as our “First Fabric.”
Arnold was born in Vancouver, Washington, and graduated from The Evergreen State College. She has lived in Olympia for 40 years, and her studio is in the Historic Grand Mound School and Historic District in South Thurston County. Recent honors include a Rare Craft Honoree from the American Craft Council; sponsorships from the Smithsonian and the US Embassy in Kazakhstan to present, exhibit, and collaborate with Kazakh artists; adoption as an Honorary Member of the Union of Artists of Kazakhstan; and a 2023 feature article in Smithsonian Magazine.
This year’s Commitment to the Arts award will be awarded to Roger McIntosh, who worked as the Production Manager at the Washington Center for 40 years. After graduating from The Evergreen State College with a degree in technical theater, McIntosh worked in photography, marketing, and lighting design for bands in both Seattle and his hometown, Walla Walla. He returned to Olympia and was hired at the Washington Center right before it opened to the public in September 1985.
Roger was an adjunct faculty member at The Evergreen State College, teaching lighting design and passing on his craft to up and coming professional technical theater crew. He has been a lighting designer for Ballet Northwest since 1985, including The Nutcracker and all their major productions. Roger plans to continue lighting design for Ballet Northwest. His career was dedicated to the performing arts in Thurston County.
The CENTER Stage Awards & Gala will begin with the awards and gala at the Heritage Room and progress to Washington Center for a performance of Yesterday & Today: The Interactive Beatles Experience. Created by brothers Billy, Matthew and Ryan McGuigan, the show lets the audience choose the entire setlist. Before each performance, audience members fill out request cards with their favorite Beatles song and the reason behind their choice. Minutes before showtime, these cards are collected, and a unique setlist is crafted based on the audience’s selections.
“The CENTER Stage Awards & Gala is always a celebration of creativity, and we’re inviting our guests to be part of the magic, by dressing up in their favorite Beatles-era theme.” says Barnes. “From mop tops to mod chic, dressing up is half the fun.”
Throughout the performance, the McGuigan brothers and their band blend the audience’s personal stories with their own memories of growing up listening to The Beatles, creating a one-of-a-kind show that changes with every performance. This interactive format allows the audience to relive their memories through the timeless music of The Beatles, making each night a deeply personal and emotional experience.
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 the performance range from $38-$73. All ticket options are available at the Washington Center website.
The 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 Friday 12:00 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.
- Details on current COVID protocols can be found here.
