Raymond Weaver and Matthew Angles at Wonderball 2020. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Nikole Breanna Prete
Unexpected experiences, performances and creative black-and-white fashion will be presented virtually this year for Columbus’ most glamorous fundraiser: Wonderball.
For the first time since it began in 2015, the Columbus Museum of Art is hosting their annual fundraiser celebration virtually Jan. 30 at 8 p.m. The event will feature live and pre-recorded performances, interactive opportunities and a chance for Columbus residents to come together online for a night of fun.
“It’s a fundraising event for the museum, but more so, it’s a celebration of the creative spirit of Columbus,” Betsy Meacham, director of strategic engagement and communication at CMOA, said.
Meacham said Wonderball is an opportunity for the Columbus community to dress up in black and white, express their creativity and experience performances and art that evoke wonder while raising funds for the museum.
“It’s a great place to escape. You can dress however you would like to dress, be whoever you want to be for one night,” Raymond Weaver, diversity equity and inclusion lead at CoverMyMeds and Wonderball co-chair, said. “It’s a really special moment to be able to dress up and be whimsical or as creative as you want to be at such a fabulous event.”
Last year’s gala raised more than $200,000, and with free admission for the first time, Meacham said their goal is to raise half that amount this year, with support from donations and sponsorships. Money raised goes toward caring for the art and creative programs for the community like Wonder School, which brings in artists for educational programs.
The theme for Wonderball 2021 is “Evolve.” Christina Basham, Wonderball co-chair, said she thinks evolution is critical to self-development, artistic development and performance.
“The way we move through the world has changed,” Weaver said. “This event kind of highlights that transition period. We’re moving forward in a direction of growth and evolution.”
Usually a four-hour event, this year’s gala will instead be a dynamic one-hour interactive program. Meacham said there would be extra channels, or “experience rooms,” that viewers can click in to see extended versions of performances and artist interviews.
“We’re hoping that helps keep the feel of the ‘choose your own adventure’ that you get when you visit the museum,” Meacham said.
Basham and Weaver said they kept diversity at the front of their minds while planning the event, intending to highlight BIPOC and LGBTQ+ artists and performers.
“We’ve worked really hard to introduce opportunities for artists and performers to collaborate so that there’s more exposure,” Basham said.
Columbus’ own Nina West and Hakim Callwood will be co-emceeing Wonderball live from the museum, with appearances from designer Keäma Official, Flamenco dancer Griset Damas-Roche, performance group Shades of Color, musician Ceezar, spoken word artist Cynthia Amoah, and more.
Meacham said there will be a virtual photo booth for viewers to take photos of their at-home celebrations and they are encouraged to share them to social media using the hashtag #CMAWonderball and #2021Wonderball.
Registration for Wonderball 2021 is available on the Columbus Museum of Art’s website.
