FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  
August 9, 2011

Weekend Celebrations Set to Open Cary Arts Center

CARY, NC –  Join the Town of Cary August 13-14 for a weekend celebration and dedication in honor of the new Cary Arts Center at 101 Dry Avenue. From 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, check out new art exhibits, dance, theatre and musical performances, open rehearsals and interactive cultural experiences or participate in adult class samplers, kid-friendly craft projects and building tours. At 2 p.m., Town officials will host a dedication and cornerstone ceremony in front of the arts center. At 5:30 p.m., teens will debut the Cary Youth Video Project. The day concludes with a free concert co-sponsored by PineCone at 7:30 p.m. by Larkin Poe, a sister duo performing original folk, Americana, country and pop music. Citizens are invited to return to the Cary Arts Center Sunday at 3 p.m. for a roundtable discussion with artists involved with the design and renovation of the building. All events are free and open to the public.

“For over 143 years, this site has been a center of education, and it’s exciting to see this latest building start its own new adventures in education in the arts,” said Mayor Harold Weinbrecht. “This weekend’s events give our citizens a great opportunity to see and experience first-hand the cultural hub they have helped to create.”  During the building’s history, the Cary Arts Center site has served as home to a number of Cary elementary and secondary schools, including North Carolina’s first public high school.

Now renovated, the Cary Arts Center is a three-story building with 16 visual and performing arts classroom spaces as well as a fully functioning theatre complete with a stage, fly loft and 399 fixed seats. The arts center is complete with both an indoor and outdoor kiln, dressing and green rooms, storage space for local cultural groups, dedicate art gallery, concession area and library space. The project converted the existing 42,000 square-foot masonry building and added 6,000 square-feet of new space for a total of roughly 48,000 square feet.

The Cary Arts Center’s regular hours are: Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-10 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-11 p.m., Sunday, 1-6 p.m.  The facility will not be open on Sundays June-August.

To learn more about the dedication and weekend events, and for more facility or rental information, search “Cary Arts Center” at www.townofcary.org or call (919) 469-4069.

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PRIMARY CONTACTS: 
Joy Ennis, Festivals Coordinator, (919) 462-3864
Lyman Collins, Cultural Arts Manager, (919) 462-3961
Deanna Boone, Deputy Public Information Officer, (919) 462-3908
Susan Moran, Public Information Director, (919) 380-4240

RELATED LINKS:
Cary Arts Center