Center for Creative Arts' Dinner and the Arts fundraiser Nov. 29 offers the community a chance to load up on good food and deals while helping support art education at the school.
The event starts with a silent auction at 5 p.m. followed by a "gourmet Mexican" dinner catered by Abuelo's for $20 per ticket. A live auction begins at 6:30 p.m. and a student Showcase Concert begins at 7:30 p.m.
Center for Creative Arts' Choo Choo Kids practice for the number they are performing at CCA's upcoming Dinner and the Arts fundraiser."This is our fourth year to host the fundraiser that benefits our entire school," said CCA Fine Arts Chair Don Andrews. "This event is a great way for our community to support CCA. There's something for everyone at Dinner and the Arts."
Patrons at the dinner inside the school's gymnasium can fill their plates with stuffed chicken medallions, steak over pasta, rice and beans, tamales, chicken and sopapillas for dessert.
After dinner, 30 tabletop paintings hand-created by CCA students will be auctioned off. Themes displayed on the tableaux range from downtown Chattanooga to fish to bridges to mountains to scientists at work to mermaids and geometric patterns.
"Everyone at CCA has to have a passion for the arts," said school principal Debbie Smith. "We have 575 students in grades 6-12. That's a good group of artists."
Andrews said more items to be auctioned off include nights in a spa casino in Reno, spa gift certificates, tickets to the Chattanooga Symphony and Chattanooga Theatre Centre and much more.
The following Showcase Concert will be held in the school auditorium and light refreshments will be served outside the gym.
"During the Showcase Concert the CCA concert choir, string orchestra and Project Motion Company will perform," said Andrews. "There will be piano soloists and the Choo Choo Kids. It highlights our students' art [that are] in the works. It's the main attraction of the Dinner and the Arts."
Smith said the annual fundraiser typically brings in $6,000 to $7,000 for the school.
"We hope to raise even more this year, or at least the same," she said. "The funds support our technology and needs throughout the arts programs such as the Black Box Theatre."