Steppenwolf’s Michael Wilk to Perform at Fundraiser Benefitting UA’s School of Music

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Guitars autographed and played in concert by Lynyrd Skynyrd and the John Kay and Steppenwolf band, a drum head autographed by singer John Legend, and custom-made items used in concert and signed by members of the band Kansas are just a few of the one-of-a-kind items that will be auctioned at the 10th Arty Party fundraiser hosted by the Leadership Board in The University of Alabama’s College of Arts and Sciences.

The event, “A Magic Carpet Ride,” will be held Friday, April 4 at 6 p.m. at The Pavilion at Cypress Inn on the Black Warrior River. All proceeds will benefit UA’s School of Music.

Musician Michael Wilk, the keyboardist with the band John Kay and Steppenwolf, will perform at the event, with special guest appearances by Kansas’s Phil Ehart and David Ragsdale. The event will also include a live and silent auction of items donated by Alabama businesses and individuals.

In addition to autographed items by members of nationally recognized musical groups, the auctions will include a diamond necklace, a one-week getaway to either Montana or Destin, a Nick Saban autographed football, week-long stays at beach homes, Crimson Tide VIP football accommodations and more.

First accredited by The National Association of Schools of Music in 1945, the UA School of Music is one of the Southeast’s most comprehensive.  Faculty and students have received numerous national and international awards, and the school offers a broad program of community and statewide musical education, workshops, youth training camps and competitions.

The School of Music occupies the splendid Frank Moody Music Building, which opened in 1987 and is one of Alabama’s most well-equipped cultural facilities.

Individual tickets for the Arty Party may be purchased for $150, patron tickets for $200, table sponsorships for $1,250, and benefactor sponsorships for $2,500. Patrons, table sponsors and benefactors receive special gifts and recognition at the event. The Arty Party is sponsored by the College of Arts and Sciences’ Leadership Board and its Fine Arts Committee.

The Committee is co-chaired by Paula Quarles and Pam Askew of Tuscaloosa. Other members are Bette Anne LeBlanc Bargeron, James S. Brooks, Melvin Butler, Andrea Cevasco, Naneita Leach Cobb, John R. Cranton, Jackie Brunson Crowell, Elizabeth B. Crump, Jerry D. Dillard, Jack Drake, Miller Bonner Engelhardt, Kathleen A. Farmer, H. Joseph Fritz, Milla Green, Patricia Hatcher Hall, Anne Barr Herman, Stella Hillard Moore, Elizabeth Hinton Pruett, Ned Smith, Winifred L. Stakely, Donald Stewart, Barbara Stone, Claire Tisdal, Rae Wade Trimmier, Mary Jean Weaver, Lucy Weinstein, Hoyt Winslett Jr. and Jeffrey Zieman.

For more information and a complete list of auction items, visit the UA College of Arts and Sciences Arty Party website at www.artyparty.as.ua.edu. To purchase tickets or make a donation to the fundraiser, phone 205/348-7007.

The Arty Party fundraiser is part of UA’s College of Arts and Sciences, the University’s largest division and the largest liberal arts college in the state. Students from the College have won numerous national awards including Rhodes Scholarships, Goldwater Scholarships and memberships on the USA Today Academic All American Team.