Musical Performances Highlight CAC's Silver Celebration

Beautiful music filled the air and colorful works of art covered the walls at the last night during the Silver Celebration of the , founded in 1986.

Douglasville native, Susan Hutcheson performed her original song, "Magnolia's Lament," written for the CAC.  Hutcheson's mother was a founding board member of the CAC and  Hutcheson herself once served as the interim director of the center.  A Douglas County High School graduate, she made the trip to Douglasville from her current home in New England, MA.

"The CAC is very much needed in Douglas County," Freddie Ashmon Jr., said, county commissioner for district 1.  "It's a wonderful organization and I hope it expands and grows.  It takes people out of their day to day grind and stimulates the artsy side of their brains.  I'm happy to see the crowd we have  here tonight."
"Tonight has been a good opportunity for us to look back at the past and recognize those who created the whole institute," Robby Pope said, the current president of the CAC Board of Directors.  "It was interesting to see how the CAC evolved over time," he said.  "We're moving into the future with a strong foundation that so many people helped to create."

Betty Noland was one of those people, as a current CAC volunteer.  She received the 2010 Mable Wright Award during the gala, named for a woman "whose cheerful commitment exemplified the devotion and dedication of the CAC Curator's Club," reads the program.

Local artists donated their creations which were bid on by guests in silent and "live" auctions.  Tickets to attend the event were $60 per person ($50 for CAC members).  Tables were offered for $500.  Money raised during the gala goes to support programs and projects sponsored by the CAC.  More than 44,000 people participated in CAC events last year.

The live auction featured items like a week-long stay on Dauphin Island in a cottage on the Alabama Gulf Coast, and a guitar autographed by country music star Travis Tritt.  The gala's auctioneer was Zach Spencer, the director of Safety and Athletics for the .

Professional harpist Lisa Handman performed with flutist Candace Keach to start the evening as guests mingled and made bids on the artwork.  Handman is based in Atlanta and her resume includes being on the soundtrack of "Interview with a Vampire," as well as being featured on the Oprah Winfrey Show.  Keach is from Athens and has been the principal flutist with the Macon Symphony for more than 20 years.

The CAC's Silver Celebration was co-chaired by Marcita Scharnhorst of GreyStone Power and Virginia Pope, the Cultural Arts Council's Founding President.