Arts center receives boost via Dave Matthews Band

February 24, 2006 

_{Charlottesville Daily Progress -}

Charlottesville's City Center for Contemporary Arts has received a $550,000 boost from a charity sponsored by the city's most famous group, the Dave Matthews Band.

Bama Works Fund, the band's charitable giving arm, announced the pledge Thursday. The pledge represents half of the $1.1 million needed to complete the C3A Building Campaign, and the band challenges the local community to join the effort so the arts center can finish the campaign by the end of the year.

"I believe strongly that everyone should have a chance to participate in the arts," said Carter Beauford, drummer for the band. "We feel that there's a role we can play to help people have access to creative opportunities - not just by funding the arts ourselves, but also by challenging everyone to continue to support the arts and nurture other artists."

City Center for Contemporary Arts opened the doors to its partially completed facility in the fall of 2003, the result of collaboration among three Charlottesville nonprofit arts organizations: Live Arts, Second Street Gallery and Light House. The award-winning arts complex houses theater, gallery and film education spaces run by each of the organizations.

Together, they hope to finalize their capital campaign, complete unfinished spaces in the building and provide for long-term maintenance needs by raising funds to match the Bama Works pledge by the end of the year.

"Bama Works' pledge to the completion campaign for City Center is a wonderful way of leading by example," Chairman Thane Kerner said.

The Dave Matthews Band established Bama Works Fund as part of the Charlottesville Area Community Foundation to carry out the band's commitment to environmental causes, human services, education and the arts, both in Charlottesville and worldwide.

For more information or to make a contribution, call (434) 293-7552 or visit www.c3arts.org.