Executive Director Brooke Kidd on A Gala Mystery Awardees
Inspired by the fedoras and femme fatales of film noir, Joe’s Movement Emporium’s annual gala takes a turn for the mysterious Saturday, March 23rd at 7 pm. “A Gala Mystery” invites you to deck yourself out in your best Rita Hayworth black dress or Humphrey Bogart fedora and join generous supporters, sponsors, and residents in the heart of Mt. Rainier, MD. Tickets are $125 per person with sponsorships starting at $500 and can be purchased online at www.joesmovement.org or in person at 3309 Bunker Hill Road, Mt. Rainier, MD 20712.
About the Gala
Joe’s annual gala event is the organization’s once-a-year major fundraising event. Proceeds from ticket sales, sponsorships and gifts made at the event support award-winning arts education, job training and artist services programs providing a catalyst of positive impact throughout the community.
Joe’s Movement Emporium Founder & Executive Director on A Gala Mystery Awardees:
The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center
“Marty Wollesen, Erica Bondarev Rapach and Jane Hirshberg have been mentors and partners to expand artist vitality in the region. Their ideas of audience engagement have positively influenced how Joe's presents performing artists to share the creative experience on stage.”
Lawrence “Brad” Bradford, Smooth & EZ Hand Dance
“Founder and director of Smooth and EZ Hand Dance, is one of the largest artist partner groups of Joe's creative collective. He leads classes and an extraordinary dance company to promote and preserve the hand dance tradition. Several days a week, Brad and his dancers fill Joe's with students practicing this timeless tradition that reinforces that dance is for life.”
David Harrington, CEO Prince George’s Chamber of Commerce
“David Harrington has provided significant support to the nonprofit sector by bringing more organizations into the Chamber of Commerce. He is a master of networking and making connections. David's support to Joe's spans more than 20 years as an elected official and community member. He sponsors Joe's annual Art and Business breakfast and ensures that arts are recognized as economic catalysts for commercial areas.”
Thelma Boyd Nash
“Ms. Thelma is a philanthropist and activist who has generously supported many community organizations, students, project and political campaigns. After a career as a Prince George's County school teacher, she has dedicated her time and energy to equality and inclusion. Ms. Thelma is a guiding light for Joe's arts education and job training programs with financial and personal support to further the impact. She is a phenomenal champion of community-based arts learning and we are grateful for her contributions.”
Special Guests: Happenstance Theater
HAPPENSTANCE THEATER, founded in 2006, is a professional company committed to devising, producing and touring original, performer-created visual, poetic Theatre. Our ensemble has been developing work together since 2012. We are multi-talented performers who craft all aspects of our pieces from concept to realization. Under the Artistic co-Direction of Mark Jaster and Sabrina Mandell, we harvest imagery from the past and re-contextualize it in performances that address eternal themes of life, death, and the ephemeral. With the simplest means - movement, silence, theatrical clown, music, text, physical comedy and beauty - we seek to elevate the moment when the performers and audience meet, to lift the encounter beyond the daily and pedestrian into the realms of dreams, poetry, and art. Meaning is often discovered by happenstance.
