JMKAC gala features `dark and stormy night’

The John Michael Kohler Arts Center hosts its annual Benefit Gala at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 30, at the Arts Center. In keeping with tradition, the theme of the fundraiser has been cloaked in mystery, but the Arts Center has now revealed its secret.

This year’s theme, “A Dark and Stormy Night,” promises an elegant evening of drama and intrigue. Guests are encouraged, but not required, to dress according to the theme and can expect to be dining and dancing with the likes of Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson, Colonel Mustard and Miss Scarlett, and Snoopy and His Typewriter. Guests are invited to dress as their favorite famous (or infamous), tempestuous or shadowy characters. Awards will be given for the darkest and stormiest costumes. Black tie is optional.

“The gala is not only a good time, but it is a good time for a great cause as all proceeds support Arts Center programs. `Master of the Impossible’ Tomáš Kubínek will keep guests chuckling from the moment they arrive with his outrageous antics. Many area residents may remember him from last year’s The Big Sheboygan Shebang,” said Mary Jo McBrearty, John Michael Kohler Arts Center chief development officer.

Gala guests will feast on a dinner created by chefs from the kitchens of The American Club and enjoy a cash bar. Music will be provided by Velocity, a popular dance band from Milwaukee. Live and silent auctions offer the opportunity to bid on such items as a culinary tour of Italy, works of art, and dining and golfing experiences.

Guests may purchase tickets at varying donation levels. To reserve tickets, call the Arts Center at (920) 458-6144 by Jan. 22. Corporations are invited to purchase tables of 10. Special overnight rates at the nearby The American Club are available for gala guests the night of the event.

Over the years the gala has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to support the Arts Center and its mission to be open free of charge to the public seven days a week. More than 200,000 children and adults, including at-risk youth and those struggling with the current economic times, visit the Arts Center or participate in its programming each year.