After a long hiatus, live music will return to the Mary Webb Center for the Arts in December.
According to Peter Garapick, chairman of the board of directors of the Mary Webb Center, the Center is planning to host a Christmas-themed concert on December 11. While he cannot yet say who will perform, Garapick has said he is a very well known and respected Canadian.
“She’s on tour to promote the release of her brand new Christmas album, a bit of jazz and blues, her take on traditional seasonal music, a bit of everything.
Garapick said they are monitoring Covid-19 restrictions and protocols and plan to abide by all rules.
Previously, the MWC sold a maximum of 250 tickets. However, this time around, ticket sales will be limited to 150, or about half the number of seats.
He added that, as usual, tickets would be available from local business partners. Garapick said tickets will also be available for sale over the phone.
“We’re not going to be doing an online sale this year because it’s such a confusing season, and we’re just going to do it over the phone. So at the end of the day, it’s first come, first served as the general headquarters, ”Garapick said. “We will adhere to all COVID-19 protocols and we truly support them. ”
Places will be spaced out and people wishing to attend must be fully vaccinated. In August, the MWC board voted to have only shows vaccinated.
“We’ll assess things as we get closer to each show if anything changes, but at the moment it’s with potential protocols with 150 people,” Garapick added. “The artists, the agents and the venue all work closely together. We all want it to work.
Garapick has been busy lining up gigs. He said MWC currently has six concerts already staged, but is aiming for nine for at least one show a month, sometimes two.
As Garapick is busy planning for the future, he can’t help but remember the generous support from the community in the past that has allowed MWC to keep the lights on.
Last year, while not making any income, Garapick admitted that the MWC was concerned about finances. With the closure of the live performance industry and without the revenue from concerts and art sales, the budget of the Mary Webb Center quickly became difficult to balance.
They started a campaign, Weave a Webb of Support, which allowed people to help pay their bills.
“We had bills of $ 28,000 and we raised over $ 22,000 from people who cared about us. Some were anonymous, but others were straightforward, saying, “I want to pay this bill,” Garapick said. “We can’t say enough about his success. But you know, it shows how many people really love what we do.
The campaign is still open to people wishing to donate. Donors can take responsibility for some or all of our running expenses for the year with a one-time donation. Your name or business may be listed in the Webb of Support progress online, or you may remain anonymous. Donations over $ 20 deserve a tax receipt.
For more information, visit marywebbcentre.ca/how-to-donate.
