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At Meany Center, we believe that performing arts have the power to bring people together through shared experiences that enrich our cultural understanding, lift our spirits and delight our senses. Our public events and donor events are designed to celebrate this transformative power and strengthen the Meany arts community by connecting our audience and members, not only with the artists we present, but with each other.
 

The Donor Lounge at Intermission

Eat, drink and be merry! Located on the Mezzanine level, the Meany Lounge welcomes donors at the Patron level ($500+) and above to join us for complimentary hors d’oeuvres and beverages during intermission or pre-show receptions. Please bring your Meany Lounge Membership Card or Lounge Pass for admittance. (If you forget to bring it, don't worry, we'll let you in!)

For a list of performances with an intermission or pre-show reception, please inquire in advance: 206-685-2819 or supportmeany@uw.edu

Meany Society Events

Donors at the Distinguished Patron giving level ($1000+) will have the opportunity to meet some of their favorite artists during the season with special events such as post-show champagne toasts and backstage meet and greets. For members of the Meany Society, ($5000+) you will also receive invitations to special dinners and events with artists outside of Meany Hall.

For additional information on upcoming events, please contact Francesco D’Aniello at 206-685-2819 or fdanie94@uw.edu

Meany Arts Tours

Join us for the Spoleto USA Festival in Charleston, South Carolina, May 22-29, 2025, 

Go behind the artistic curtain with Michelle Witt, Meany’s Executive & Artistic Director, along with an intimate group of arts-loving friends to enjoy this world-renowned festival founded in 1977 by Gian Carlo Menotti as a counterpart to the Festival dei Due Mondi in Spoleto, Italy.

The caliber of artistry is unforgettable. Two years ago, we saw the world premiere of Rhiannon Gidden’s new opera, Omar at the Spoleto USA Festival. It went on to win the Pulitzer Prize in Music...and we were there on opening night!

We’ll stay seven nights at the elegant landmark Francis Marion Historic Hotel. Each evening we’ll attend concerts and enjoy local cuisine and culture. During the day, we’ll explore the Southern charms of Charleston’s private art collections, museums, gardens and historic homes with a day trip to Middleton Place and Magnolia.

Tour Highlights:

  • Nightly concerts and performances at the famed Spoleto USA Festival: Classical chamber and piano music, opera, dance, theater, film, world music, and jazz!
  • Charleston’s Behind the Garden Gate Open Day presented by the Garden Conservancy & Charleston Horticultural Society. Tour 7 private gardens!
  • Private tour of  the newly opened International African American Museum, which tells the unvarnished stories of the African American experience across generations.
  • Take a Fort Sumter historic boat cruise. Be greeted by a National Park Service ranger who will provide programming and answer questions about the history of Fort Sumter and its pivotal role in the American Civil War.
  • Visit Mother Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church and remember the victims and survivors of the June 17, 2015 tragedy in which nine members of the church were murdered. Learn about the Emanuel Nine Memorial, which will include a sacred space to honor those slain and a garden space to honor the survivors.
  • Visit Charleston’s Gullah Community: the Lowcountry’s first black inhabitants, a language & culture still thriving today. Explore the places, history, and stories that are relevant to the rich and varied contributions made by black Charlestonians. Visit Denmark Vesey’s home, Catfish Row, the Old Slave Mart, and the Market, and learn about Aiken-Rhett House slave quarters, black slave owners, and blacksmith Philip Simmons. Meet renowned artisans who practice the centuries-old craft of sweetgrass basket sewing. Following a lunch featuring Low Country cuisine.
  • Explore Southern historic homes with private guides of the Heyward-Washington and Nathaniel Russell Homes. Curator-led tour of the Gibbes Museum featuring paintings by Benjamin West, Thomas Hart Benton, landscapes of the Hudson River School and contemporary American works.
  • Day trip to Middleton Place & Magnolia, a National Historic Landmark and home to America’s oldest 65 acre landscaped gardens.    

Read the tour brochure

For additional information, please contact Cristi Benefield at 206-616-6296 or cristi@uw.edu  

Space is limited! Registration Due: December 30, 2025.