For the past year, we’ve all sipped Beyoncé’s LEMONADE, but she’s not the only Knowles family member celebrating a crowning achievement. Tina Knowles Lawson and her husband Richard have just opened the new non-profit WACO Theater Center. The Los Angeles-based philanthropic effort was founded with the hope of funding the arts and using them to influence the lives of today’s youth.
“We are truly thrilled to establish a new creative center in Los Angeles where art can occur,” Knowles Lawson said in a statement. Where Art Can Occur is not only the objective but the official name of the center.
Among the center’s many initiatives are its community mentoring programs Tina’s Angels and Richard’s Warriors. In these programs, the non-profit will educate and empower youth from around the L.A. area. They’ll also have an opportunity to participate in the Mobile Theater, where their art will be displayed in the lobby.
Knowles Lawson, who’s often referred to as Mama Tina by the BeyHive, is bringing her motherly instincts to the masses.
“It is a proven fact that when you are exposed to the arts, you do better in other areas. We want to feed the mind of the entire young person from the arts to life skills,” she said in the same statement.
To kick things off, the Lawsons will host the first annual Wearable Art Gala. The fundraiser aims to become one of the city’s most high-profile events, and judging by the initial lineup, that goal will be achieved from the start.
Lawson’s famous daughters, Beyoncé and Solange, will serve as honorary chairwomen as well as Kelly Rowland and Bianca Lawson. There will be several galleries and exhibits throughout WACO Theater Center. Guests will be free to explore and take in the inventive creations.
There will also be a series of both live and silent auctions and a Creole-style dinner. Proceeds from the Wearable Art Gala’s tickets will go towards developing the center’s mentorship programs.
“Dreams do not have an expiration date,” Lawson said. The WACO Theater Center serves as a tremendous demonstration of that statement.
The Wearable Art Gala takes place April 29.