Plano's arts groups will gather under one roof next month for Celebrate the Arts, the annual showcase presented by Collaborative Arts of Plano. The event returns to the Courtyard Theater at 1509 H Avenue on Saturday, Aug. 15, and is built in two parts so families can attend either one.
The children's matinee begins at 2:30 p.m. and is aimed at younger audiences. Alongside stage performances, the lobby fills with make-and-take art activities and a hands-on musical instrument "Petting Zoo" presented by the Plano Symphony Orchestra, where children can try instruments themselves. Matinee tickets are $10.
The evening showcase starts at 7 p.m. and gathers 20 performances from member organizations, along with remarks from civic leaders. It is a variety-style bill that moves between music, dance, theater and visual art rather than dwelling on one discipline, and a visual arts exhibition is open to view beforehand.
Evening tickets are $20 and include the afterparty that follows in the lobby, with a DJ, wine, snacks and a chance to meet performers.
Collaborative Arts of Plano, known as CAP, is a member-driven nonprofit established in 2015, formerly the Plano Arts Coalition. It now counts 27 member organizations and describes its mission as working "to establish Plano as a dynamic, inclusive arts destination where creativity flourishes."
Its membership spans much of the city's cultural life, including the Plano Symphony Orchestra, Plano Metropolitan Ballet, Plano Civic Chorus, Plano Community Band, Plano Art Association, Outcry Theatre, North Texas Performing Arts, Chamberlain Ballet, ArtCentre of Plano, the Museum of Contemporary Visual Arts, the Plano International Festival and the Plano Comedy Festival.
For a resident deciding how to spend a Saturday, the appeal is the sampler format. Rather than committing to one company's season, an attendee can see a cross-section of what the city's arts organizations do in a single afternoon and evening.
The rest of the month
Celebrate the Arts anchors a busy August across Plano.
