Beacon Charter Schools To Present Honors At 5th Annual Gala

WOONSOCKET, RI - From Beacon Charter Schools: On October 26th, Beacon Charter Schools will host their 5th Annual Gala & Silent Auction to celebrate the achievements of their student artists, faculty and staff, as well as honoring members of the community who have worked to support and promote the arts.

Humberto Crenca, better known as Bert Crenca, will be presented with Beacon’s Vanguard of the Arts award. The Vanguard of the Arts award recognizes an individual who has blazed a trail through the practice of his/her art. Crenca is the Artistic Director and Co-Founder of AS220, a non-profit center for the arts in Providence. AS220’s presence is widely credited with establishing the Providence Arts and Entertainment District. Crenca’s art and steadfast efforts to encourage creation of art by others is unparalleled in Rhode Island.

Beacon will be presenting their Community Partner award to St. Ann Arts and Cultural Center, in Woonsocket RI. The Community Partner award honors efforts to collaborate with and support Beacon student artists and their families, as well as the greater community. St. Ann Arts and Cultural Center is home to the largest collection of frescos in North America, and graciously hosts community wide events that are both educational and arts centered. Beacon will be presenting St. Ann Arts and Cultural Center with this award as a token of appreciation and gratitude for sharing their facilities and welcoming the Beacon Community with open arms.

This year’s recipient of the Distinguished Alumnae Award is Ashley (Prior) Selima, Class of 2007. During her time at Beacon Charter High School for the Arts, Selima studied Culinary Arts and was dedicated to perfecting her art, and achieving academic success. Selima went on to earn two masters degrees from the University of Rhode Island, one in Library Science (MLIS) and the other in Public Administration (MPA). She worked in multiple types of library institutions, including interning at the Library of Congress during her URI tenure as a part of their Junior Fellows program. Currently, Selima is working as Rhode Island’s State Archivist and Public Records Administrator. Her achievements exemplify the impact Beacon’s arts-centered and rigorous curriculum can have on sustaining post-secondary success.

Beacon’s 5th Annual Gala and Silent Auction is an opportunity to recognize and celebrate these achievements while, at the same time, raising funds to support their schools. The funds raised at the event are critical to sustaining the high quality of Beacon’s arts and academics programs. This year’s event offers many exciting new features, including a masquerade ball theme, a raffle with the chance to win a pair of Harley Davidson motorcycles, a wine pull with more than 100 bottles of wine and a selection of gift cards, a children’s costume ball, and of course the silent auction featuring dozens of items. The evening, which kicks off at6:30pm, will also showcase performances, culinary delights, and art from Beacon student artists. To purchase tickets, and for more detailed information on the evening’s events, please visit: www.biddingforgood.com/beacongala/2017 .

Image via Beacon Charter Schools