"UNCSA Presents" wins Downtown Excellence Award

“UNCSA Presents,” the presenting series that brings world-class, professional entertainment to downtown Winston-Salem at the Stevens Center, was presented with a Downtown Excellence Award today. Mayor Allen Joines presented the award during a ceremony held at the annual meeting of the Downtown Winston-Salem Partnership at the Benton Convention Center.

“UNCSA Presents” launched in the summer of 2018 and has since reached more than 9,000 people through ticket sales to a wide variety of offerings, from the American Music Series to award-winning Broadway tours to shows for kids.

“We are incredibly honored to receive a Downtown Excellence Award, and we are grateful to Mayor Allen Joines and the Downtown Winston-Salem Partnership for this important recognition,” said Wiley Hausam, managing director of performance facilities and curator of “UNCSA Presents.” “It has been gratifying to see the reaction from our community to ‘UNCSA Presents’ at the Stevens Center, and we are proud to do our part toward enhancing a vibrant downtown Winston-Salem. The Stevens Center is truly a historic cultural treasure right here in our city. It is our hope that a revitalized Stevens Center will spur even more growth and interest in downtown Winston in the future.”

Since its inception, “UNCSA Presents” has showcased a diverse array of artists through the American Music Series, such as Steve Earle and the Dukes, Mavis Staples, I’m With Her, Kathy Mattea, Flor de Toloache, and many more. In the spring of 2019, “UNCSA Presents” launched its Broadway series with a sold-out presentation of “Kinky Boots,” bringing Broadway back to Winston for the first time in almost a decade. Another sold-out production of the hit musical “Once” followed in the fall.

Upcoming events include Grammy nominee Amythyst Kiah (March 7); “Erth’s Prehistoric Adventure” (March 29), an immersive and interactive event for young people; “Choir of Man” (March 31), a party and concert in one; Tony Award-winning musical “The Color Purple” (May 13) and virtuosic folk trio Lula Wiles (May 21). The 2020-21 season of “UNCSA Presents” will be announced in the spring.

A member of the League of Historic American Theaters, the Stevens Center has hosted artists such as Elvis Presley and Isaac Stern. UNCSA’s leadership, under Interim Chancellor Brian Cole, continues to seek public and private funding for a renovation of the Stevens Center, which will help drive downtown’s ongoing rebirth, will prepare students with state-of-the-art technology, will improve the artistic experience, and will better serve patrons.

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