P E R F O R M A N C E H I G H L I G H T S 2 0 1 9 / 2 0 2 0

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4 9 A R T S C O U N C I L E V E N T S3 5 A U X I L I A R Y E V E N T S

3 3 1 R E H E A R S A L S2 2 , 5 7 1 V I S I T O R S

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S U M M A R Y

Our organization hosted 49 in-person events this fiscal year. There were 35 events that used our space as a resource that either wouldn’t have happened, or couldn’t have happened in downtown Wilson without the use of our facility. We provided space for 331 rehearsals over 4 different theater organizations. We actually could not have done this during our current circumstances without the help of the Upper Coastal Plains Business Development Center and the City of Wilson. As you can imagine, we had a decrease in the number of visitors and volunteers from the previous year due to the impacts COVID-19 had on gatherings during the last quarter.

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I N C O M E 1 9 / 2 0 Y T D

Local Government Grants

30%Charitable Contributions

35.2%

State Grants

5.8%

Earned Revenue

29%

Total Income: $469,416

Our fiscal year runs July – June. The numbers you see here are the numbers so far this year with a few days left to go. We have brought in $469, 416 in income. This is an 11% decrease compared to last year. You can see the breakdown of revenue in this graphic to include charitable contributions from individuals and corporations making up 35% of the pie, Local Government Grants and State Grants making up 35% and Earned Revenue making up 29%. This decrease in total revenue is mainly due to the impacts that COVID-19 has had on earned revenue in the last quarter. Earned revenue comes from ticket income from performances and events, rentals and classes. It is very healthy for an organization to have diversified income streams as we have.

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E X P E N S E S 1 9 / 2 0 Y T D

Programming

44.5%

Staff

43%

General Operations

12.5%

Total Expenses: $441,972

Our expenses so far this fiscal year have totaled to be $441,972. This is a 4% decrease in expenses compared to last year at this time. 44% of our expenses went towards supporting our programs. 43% went towards staff that makes all of this possible. 12% support general operations such as utilities, insurance, etc.

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H A P P Y R E T I R E M E N T

Sharon Pierce

Jenn

Ferguson

1 6 Y E A R S O F S E R V I C E

W E L C O M E

F I N A N C E C O O R D I N A T O R

We had a change in staff this year. Sharon Pierce served the Arts Council of Wilson as Financial Coordinator for 16 years. She has retired and is enjoying her new life with fewer responsibilities and more adventures. Jenn Ferguson started with us at the beginning of March and is doing a great job with bookkeeping and finances, and keeping us organized.

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I’d like to now take a little time to recap some of our programming this past year as well as look ahead to the programming we have planned for next year. There are many uncertainties depending on how the pandemic progresses over the next few months, but we are very excited to share with you our tentative plans for performances this upcoming year and reflect on the amazing slate of entertainment we’ve had this past year. As we have been these past few months, our organization will adapt, be flexible, creative, and innovative while prioritizing the physical health of our patrons.

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The Boykin Series, our professional performing arts series, had a great season in its 23rd year despite its challenges. You may remember some of these amazing performers such as country rock band - Little Texas, bluegrass group - the Barefoot Movement, jazz fusion artist - Marcus Anderson, Let’s Hang On – A Frankie ValliTribute and romantic country artist - Mark Wills.

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Boykin Series 23

Rescheduled

2 of the eight scheduled performances had to be rescheduled to the next fiscal year due to COVID-19. Collage Dance Collective has been rescheduled for October of this year with hopefully collaboration and outreach to Wilson County Schools. Collage works to increase access to outstanding ballet training, increase diversity on professional ballet stages and increase participation by people of color at ballet and other fine arts events. Gene Watson is a traditional country artist popular in the 60’s and 70’s with a committed fan base scheduled for January 2021.

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Boykin Series 24

ELEW

Henry Cho

Pam Tillis

Dancing Dream

Christmas with Elvis

We have an outstanding line up for Boykin Series 24 featuring entertainers diverse in genre and backgrounds. This season is a bit smaller due to the rescheduling of Boykin Series 23 performances and current circumstances. Next season, we will present rock jazz artist ELEW from America’s Got Talent, Dancing Dream – an ABBA Tribute Band, Southern Comedian Henry Cho, country artist Pam Tillis, and Matt Lewis and Long Live the King Orchestra – a tribute to Elvis.Thank you to the Boykin Series Committee for your commitment to curating a diverse season of professional entertainers for the benefit of Wilson residents and to draw visitors to Wilson.

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ACT! for Youth is another one of our signature programs. This program’s purpose is to provide live theater opportunities for the youth of Wilson County and surrounding areas.Shaun Braswell, who is our “host with the most” for our meeting today, is our Theater Arts Coordinator. He oversees this amazing program and also provides technical direction for the Boykin Center.

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Oklahoma!

45 cast and crew

1,141 attendees

The AFY program has guest educators for each production such as directors, choreographers and costumers that teach and work with the kids who participate with the show.Typically, there are three ACT! for Youth shows per year. This year’s season kicked off with Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma, a musical directed by David Winstead of the Singer’s Studio and choreographed by Patricia Bradshaw of Dance Studio B.

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A Little Princess

67 cast and crew899 attendees

In February, A Little Princess, graced the stage. Hannah Slaughter, an AFY alumna who is now with Theater Academy Production in Cary, directed the show and Patsy Castellano was the choreographer.

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Glimpse Behind the

Scenes

This is a glance behind the scenes. Youth in the program learn how to do every aspect of the show including lights, sound, costuming, makeup, acting, singing, stage managing, designing sets, building sets, moving sets, and more! They learn valuable life skills as well, such as time management, working together as a team, work ethic, handy skills, and how to speak and perform in front of an audience.

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B R I N G I T O NT H E M U S I C A L

A N N I ET H E M U S I C A L

A L I C E I N W O N D E R L A N D

A F Y 2 0 / 2 1 S E A S O N

We are looking forward to next season with much anticipation. We are excited to announce to you that we will be doing Bring it On, the Musical, the popular and beloved musical Annie, and Alice in Wonderland. The demand for participation is high and we are always looking for shows that can accommodate a large cast, diversity, and cater to an array of age groups. I’d like to thank the ACT! for Youth Committee, comprised of students and parents that help support this program in a variety of volunteer positions.

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Visual Arts Series

Our Visual Arts Series is our exhibition series featuring the artwork of our local and regional artists in a variety of media. This year we had six incredible exhibitions including “Clear Light Mind” by photographer Tom Braswell, “The Power of Color” by painter Steve Benton, “Bits and Pieces” by mosaic artists Elizabeth Healey and Julia Newton, “Color & Life” by Columbian artist and dancer Yholima Vargas-Aleem and now on exhibit “Local Inspiration” – a group exhibition featuring Wilson County Public School teachers. We have had some incredible gallery openings that are free and open to the public. There are often short artist lectures giving attendees some context to the work.

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Visual Arts Series

Dee Dee Oliver is our Visual Arts Coordinator and does an incredible job with the Visual Arts Series, Holiday Invitational and Miniature Masterpeices fundraisers, and our visual arts education. I’d also like to extend a huge thanks to the Visual Arts Committee – we could not pull these activities off without your support.

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Visual Arts Education

The Arts Council of Wilson expanded our offerings for adult workshops taking place on Saturday mornings. From cookie decorating, to painting, to silk painting, to wirewrapped jewelry, there were a lot of opportunities to expand on one’s creative skillset.

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Visual Arts Education

We also offer an array of educational opportunities in the visual arts for youth as well, including weekly classes after school, summer camps, and workshops.

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Outreach

Each summer, the Arts Council of Wilson hosts three summer camps in partnership with the Wilson Housing Authority that are completely free for campers and their families.

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Outdoor Events and Activities

The Arts Council participates in the Whirligig Festival each year. This year, we hosted a sidewalk chalk contest, had a booth with a free youth activity and coordinated the Whirlikidz stage. In addition, we participated in a Sidekix event and several Farmers’ and Artisans markets. Participation in community events helps us extend our reach to let others know of the services that are available through the Arts Council.

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G R A S S R O O T S S U B G R A N T S

Wilson County Library - Rosa Parks and Friends - $372

Tall One Outreach - Wilson Idol - $2,500

Seeds of Hope - Afterschool Garden Club Mural - $1,090

Roundhouse Museum - Concerts on the Lawn - $3,019

Wilson County Substance Prevention Coalition - Recovery through Art - $2,100

Wilson Education Partnership - In Harmony - $2,500

Half of the state funds we receive through the North Carolina Arts Council are subgranted out to Wilson County organizations that utilize the arts to achieve their individual missions. These are this year’s recipients of the Grassroots sub grants and their projects. As you can imagine, some of these projects were interrupted by the coronavirus pandemic, but most activities were carried out before the pandemic began affecting our area, and some were able to transfer to general operating funds, and for some, the period in which activities could occur was extended.

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Grassroots Subgrants

This photo montage shows this year’s subgrant projects in action.

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R E G I O N A L A R T I S T

P R O J E C T G R A N T

J E R O M E D E P E R L I N G H I

S H A N G H A I 2 0 1 8 - 2 0 2 5

N E V E R N I G H T C I T Y A G A I N

$1,00

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The Arts Council of Wilson also promotes the Regional Artist Project Grant, in which artists from 29 counties compete for project funding to further their career in the arts. We are very proud of Wilson’s own Jerome de Perlinghi, who was a recipient of that funding this year. Many of you know him as the Artistic Director of Eyes on Main Street. This funding was given to support his individual work and photographic explorations in Shanghai, China.

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Miniature Masterpieces Event

and Fundraiser

We could not make the arts work without incredible fundraisers. Miniature Masterpieces is a favorite fundraiser every year in which artists donate 8x8 mini masterpieces to a ticketed event. The photo at the top features some of the artists that participated this year. We had a total of 83 artists donate works of art for the fundraiser. This event raised $6,271 for arts programming.

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Queens for Creativity

Queens for Creativity reached seating capacity with our hosts for the event before we even had a chance to announce it to the public. This funk,y fun, drag show, dinner cabaret fundraiser featured Queens Khloe Tin Tin, Sasha Everhart, and Amanda La Rouxx. Thank you to the Event Fundraising Committee for your work on this event. This first-time event raised $3,069. We had other fun event fundraisers planned including Showtime at the Boykin and Battle Karaoke which, unfortunately, had to be rescheduled for a later date due to the coronavirus.

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Online registration for all classes and events now available

One of our initiatives in our strategic plan is to leverage technology to improve efficiencies, access, and communication. In September of 2019, we started offering online registration for all of our classes and workshops. Now, over 90% of our registrations are online and class/workshop revenue WAS up 44% as a result before COVID-19 hit. ACT! for Youth participation forms and group show opportunities have moved to an online registration form as well streamlining that process.

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wilsonarts.com/give

membership

gift a membership

honorary gift

memorial gift

directed donation

amazon smile

Our Fund Drive Committee was tasked through our strategic plan to evaluate membership structure. Our brochure was redesigned to show recent impact figures and the names of the levels of membership were refreshed. Online giving was made easier and expanded giving options were offered to include honorary donations, memorial donations, directed donations, and gifting memberships in addition to standard membership donations. A wish list of items is available at www.wilsonarts.com/give and our organization is registered with Amazon Smile. Monthly payment options were made easier for those that prefer to give a smaller amount monthly rather than one lump sum. Thank you to the Fund Drive Committee for all of your work on creating this new brochure.

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There are many events, projects, and initiatives that require collaboration to be successful. We pool together our resources and are stronger together for it.

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Matilda

52 cast and crew1,024

attendees

Last year, we partnered with Barton College on our big summer musical. This show has a regional draw in talent and audience. Last year, this was Matilda, directed and music directed by Caleb Skinner and choreographed by Patricia Bradshaw.

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Celebrating 100 years of the

Wilson Theater

In 2019, our organization celebrated 100 years of the Wilson Theatre, now the Edna Boykin Cultural Center. The Wilson County Historical Association installed a historical marker in front of the theatre to mark the occasion with the support of the Wilson County Tourism Development Authority. To celebrate, our organization embraced its theatrical roots and partnered with Signature Productions to present a workshop of An Extra Penny, a musical written by local playwright Cindy Lu Mancini. Signature donated all of the proceeds from the show and the gala event, which raised $12,596 for the Arts Council.

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Art for Big Belly Smart/Garbage Containers

The City of Wilson and Wilson Downtown Development partnered with the Arts Council of Wilson to beautify our evolving downtown with decals of original art created by members of the Wilson community. Our organization opened a call for submissions and 10 designs were chosen to be reproduced on 40-50 Bigbelly Smart Waste/Recycling Stations throughout Historic Downtown Wilson.

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Barton/Arts Council Concert

Collaboration

DaniLeigh

In an effort to try new things, reach new audiences, enhance the college experience, and increase Barton College’s students and faculty familiarity with the downtown landscape and offerings through the Arts Council, we partnered with Barton College on a concert to bring upcoming hip-hop and rap artist DaniLeigh to Wilson, North Carolina. The concert had great and diverse participation from the Barton Student Body considering Hurricane Dorian was also with us during this time. These are a few photos from that evening on September 7th in the Boykin Center.

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COVID-19

Impact

$95,000 in lost income

29 ACW events impacted

14 rentals impacted

The coronavirus pandemic started affecting all of us around mid-March. Suddenly, we could no longer gather to enjoy the arts and our beloved theater went dark. All of a sudden, we could no longer enjoy the arts in the same way we always have. We could not create in the same way we have always done. We had to ask ourselves, what can we do to serve our community with these obstacles, and how can we continue to accomplish our mission? How can we continue to make ends meet with such a hit on earned income and such uncertainty the current circumstances have on all of other revenue streams. To date, we have missed out on $95,000 in income as a result of the pandemic. 29 Arts Council events have been postponed, canceled, or re-imagined. 14 rentals or partnered events have been impacted as well. I anticipate we will be feeling the effects of the virus on our economy for a while and the performing arts will be one of the last to be able to open back up and operate as it once did. Thanks to everyone who saw the need early to send a couple of extra donations or donated supplies to help us adjust to current circumstances.

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As Cathy stated earlier, our first Virtual Exhibit was by artist Yholima Vargas-Aleem. Within a week of the Boykin Center closing, her in-person exhibit was documented and available online with voice-over from the artist to provide additional context for her work.Our current exhibit, “Local Inspiration,” is a group exhibit featuring the work of Wilson County Public School Art Teachers, and is available both online and in Hammond Gallery. There is no substitute for viewing a work of art in person, but a photograph is the next best thing.

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Local Color was an idea given to us by the Wilson Chamber of Commerce as a way to memorialize how children in our community endured this crisis, but also as a colorful way to showcase some of the community’s most recognizable features. 19 artists jumped on board with helping us create this coloring book titled “Local Color.” A free download of this 33 page coloring book is available on our website.

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heARTworks

Full-time artists and gig-workers have been hit the hardest with a loss of income from events, markets, and festivals. However, we have seen our artist community rally around us during these challenging times, by donating works of art with 100% of proceeds to benefit the Arts Council of Wilson. Many have sold, a few are still available, and artists are continuing to donate works. We are truly grateful for the generosity of these artists.

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The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe58 cast and crew

ACT! for Youth’s last show of the season, the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was also affected by COVID-19. The show was scheduled to perform at the beginning of April. It was going to be a popular show and we already had 2 shows very near capacity just from schools field tripping to see the show. Schools closed and many extracurricular activities ceased for children. We moved rehearsals to being virtual, which is nowhere near the same experience, however, more than 85% of parents and participants have reported that the continuation of rehearsals even though they are virtual has been a positive experience for their child and much appreciated. We are still hopeful that a performance can happen in some form or fashion at some point.

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wilsonarts.com/galleryshop

Leveraging technology to improve efficiencies, access, and communication has certainly been a part of the plan all along. The coronavirus has expedited that process for us out of necessity. We launched our online gift shop in April of this year. Every item in our exhibits and in our gift shop is now online and available for purchase and pick-up. Now that restrictions are loosened, visitors may visit the shop in person as well. Due to this effort, we were able to provide our artists with the ability to receive income from artwork sales while we were closed, and our gallery shop sales compared to last year are ahead by 363%, which is kind of astounding!

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We were able to help our local artists by launching the online shop, but many of our local musicians and performers are also out of work. Our partners at Wilson Downtown Development and the Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park and Museum also recognized this and we partnered to create a facebook group - the Wil’t’sonLimelight, a place where performers of all kinds living and working in Wilson could share their artform, expand their networks and fan base, and recoup some lost income with virtual tip jars. In addition, some artists just want to do what they can to use their artform to heal our community and soothe anxieties associated with current circumstances.

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Several weeks ago, a peaceful demonstration in downtown Wilson protesting the killing of George Floyd by a Minnealpolis police officer turned violent. Windows were broken in the Leder building and in the front of the new Wilson Arts Center. In the spirit of hope and healing, we reached out to our local artist friends and supporters with a request to create images of justice and peace on the plywood. These are some of the beautiful images that they created.Our sincere thanks to Lowe’s, Wilson Paint Supply, various donors, and the artists, Arts Council board and staff members, and volunteers who generously donated time, money and supplies to help board up the windows, providing a blank canvas and an unexpected amazing opportunity to communicate with our community.

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Summer Camps living with

COVID-19

After we explored whether or not we felt like we could effectively implement the guidelines from the state, we decided to move forward with summer art camps. These pictures show a bit of what camp during COVID-19 looks like, face coverings made by a local artist, temperature checking and screening, handwashing, and students having individual tables spaced at least 6 ft. a part. We weren’t sure how campers would react to the new procedures – after all, this is so new for all of us – but we were pleasantly surprised that they could still have fun being creative and enjoy one another’s company.

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New Property

204 Nash Street

S

Those of you who were present last year may remember these artist renderings of the new Wilson Arts Center that were presented. Many have stood in the trenches to make this a reality for us – thank you to BB&T/now Truist, the City of Wilson, Josephine Brown, the Edna Boykin Endowment, Wilson County and to so many faithful donors who are trusting us by transferring their gifts to a new dream. Thank you also to the Design and Construction Committees and to our Board of Directors.

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Construction in progress

We became building owners February 2019 and have taken substantial steps in the past year towards accomplishing our goal. We have completed the design process, asbestos removal, interior demolition and just completed a brand new roof. Construction continues as we speak. Please reach out if you’d like to learn more or you would like to go on a construction tour of the space. We are looking to move into the space late this year or the very beginning of 2021.

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Liz ShortCapital Campaign

Fundraising Coordinator

We do not have the necessary funding to complete all 20,000 sq. ft. of the facility, therefore construction is phased. We have a Master Plan in place and will be renovating roughly 12,000 sq. ft. in Phase 1. This will include a large and flexible 5,000 sq. foot gallery and multi-purpose event space, performing arts studio, multi-purpose classrooms, administrative offices, conference room, kitchen, and gift shop. We are still seeking donations and funding for furnishings, technologies, and essential items, and for phase 2 of the Wilson Arts Center, which is highlighted in blue.Liz Short is leading our Capital Campaign fundraising efforts. She grew up in our ACT! for Youth program and knows firsthand how important our programming is and the benefits one receives as a participant. She understands the importance of securing the future of this programming through an optimized and functional arts center.

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Logos over the years

Per our strategic plan set by our board of directors, the Marketing and Branding Committee was tasked with developing our brand identity. Our organization has served this community for more than 50 years filling the gap in the arts. We have undergone many changes over those years and will continue to shift as necessary to prioritize the needs of Wilson County by being the artistic hub that enriches, educates and entertains. We will be moving into our 4th headquarters location since inception and we have had many brand identities over the years as you can see here. Our new facility provides a tremendous new opportunity to strengthen our connections with various sectors of the community.

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We will be rebranding under a new name and that name is Wilson Arts. We will still function as the Arts Council designated county partner for Wilson County and will still be the umbrella arts organization that you all know and love. Wilson Arts is a name that we have been using for our website for many years now and is a natural shift. Omitting the word “Council” will help us realize our full potential as a vibrant center for arts and culture and shed the “stiff” and “governmental feel” that may feel intimidating, confusing or too formal for new audiences. We are retaining the use of primary colors as primary colors are the foundation of color theory and by which nearly all colors can be mixed from. Our organization is the foundation for all arts activities in the county and with our emphasis on arts education in our mission, this color scheme is appropriate for us. One of our core beliefs is that the arts are for every human being regardless of age, background, race, or income. The use of all three primary colors reflects the diversity in Wilson County and the belief that the arts unify us, strengthen our community and can bridge the gaps between them. Over the next few months, you will see us start to roll out with this new branding. Thank you Marketing and Branding committee for your professional expertise in analyzing the meaning, functionality, and usability of our new name and brand. Thanks also to the artist behind the design, Ryan Mercer. This branding will help us set the tone for our work for many years to come.

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19/20 BOARD OF DIRECTORS

When I look back on the last year, a lot has happened to us and we have accomplished a great deal. Our organization is in a very pivotal time with a lot of uncertainty around programs, income and funding at the present moment. I am thankful for our board of directors for the hours, resources and thoughtful consideration towards our future and vision. I am thankful for the staff who are working on the ground and in the trenches every day to have a strong, lasting and positive impact on our community. I am thankful that these Board and Staff members quickly and effectively transitioned to Virtual technology to ensure continued communication, advocacy and programming for the Arts Council.I am thankful for partners that see the arts as part of the solution to their individual missions, and as a necessary part of our community. I am thankful for a City and County that recognizes the impact that the arts has on an individual and an economic level. I am thankful for the volunteers and contributors that make all of this possible. As Cathy fondly states, it takes a village and we are thankful for ours.

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