Band Central Performed at City Lights Benefit Downtown

Band Central and City Lights patrons packed the house of the Downtown Cabaret Theatre for a high energy fund and friend-raiser supporting arts enrichment programs for youth and celebrating City Lights 15th Anniversary. Band Central led by Rob Fried sponsored and produced the Magic of Motown benefit concert on Friday, April 12, 2019. The show featured Stephanie Harrison, Soul Tempo, Vincent Ingala, Pat Marafiote, Tim DeHuff, Mike Marble, Lindsay Frank, Trevor Small and Rob Fried.

“Making this 15-year milestone did not happen in a vacuum. City Lights staff, board members and volunteers are grateful to all who support the mission of City Lights, to serve the community through art,” stated Suzanne Kachmar, Executive Director of City Lights.

Among those organizations that support City Lights programs over the years include: Fairfield County's Community Foundation, CT Office on the Arts, Bridgeport Rotary Foundation, Pitney Bowes Foundation, SpreadMusicNow, Fairfield Arts for Youth and People’s United Bank.

This academic year City Lights programs will reach 5,000 students, partnering with Band Central and Fairfield Arts for Youth. City Lights has worked with the Multicultural Magnet school in Bridgeport for three years. This year’s program theme was, “My Culture Is Me.” This was inspired by art and vision of Native American teaching artist, Erin Lee Antonak.

A culminating program is scheduled for May 22, 2019 featuring a student dance performance choreographed by Luis Antonio and a funky New Orleans jazz-inspired musical ensemble led by Fuzz San Giovanni of Caravan of Thieves, Deep Banana Blackout and the Tom Tom Club.

As the spring weather starts to heat up, so does the City Lights calendar of events. Outreach programs include: cultural arts integration programs in the schools of music, dance, and visual arts, mural projects through a collaboration with Aim Higher Together- Bridgeport an anti-violence art campaign, and Make Music Day-Bridgeport, scheduled for the first day of summer.

For more information visit https://www.citylightsgallery.org/