State
Typography

GAINESVILLE - If you love all things animated, toon into an annual event and new exhibition taking over the Cade Museum for Creativity and Invention this May.  

Inventivity Bash: Get Animated at the Cade! kicks off after museum hours on Saturday, May 14. The festive annual gala provides a sneak preview of Animationland, a new interactive exhibition premiering the public on Thursday, May 19. 

A VIP Exclusive Lounge gets the party started in the Petty Family Gallery from 6 to 7 p.m. Signature cocktails and a cash beer and wine bar will be featured, capped off with a Champagne Toast by Stephanie Bailes, CEO of the Cade Museum. A caricature artist will entertain the crowd. 

  The main event takes place from 7 to 10 p.m. with heavy hors d’oeuvres, a beer and wine cash bar and an exclusive preview of Animationland. The entire museum will be a-buzz with themed programming and science demonstrations. If that weren’t all, acclaimed DJ Elio Piedra will spin tunes from his vast library that encompasses every genre, from country to jazz to rock and R&B. 

Popcorn, candy and dessert bars sweeten the fun while a silent auction entices bids for a prizes at different price points. A photobooth will capture memorable moments while demonstrations and experiments wow onlookers in the Creativity Lab. 

Tickets to the event cost $125, and the VIP Lounge is a $75 add-on. Proceeds from ticket sales and silent auction support the operation of the Cade Museum, including critical community outreach.  

Examples of the Cade’s outreach over the past year include the Cade Museum’s Invent Possible Project: Community Connectivity and Education, providing internet to Gainesville Housing Authority (GHA) residents and giving children invaluable access to online learning resources.  

“Through Operation Full STEAM, an equity in education initiative provided in partnership with ACPS, we reached 905 children from three elementary schools totaling in 3,888 interactions over the last few years,” effused Stephanie Bailes, CEO of the Cade Museum. “The funds we raise provide free community memberships to low-income families, with 977 community partner members currently enrolled. We also provide complete and partial scholarships to summer camps.” 

Since opening in 2018, the Cade has hosted more than 9,015 children for field trips and hosted 121,619 visits to the museum for exhibits and events. In addition to the GHA, the Cade has partnered with the Southwest Advocacy Group (SWAG), YMCA, Boys & Girls Club, and Episcopal Children Services (ECS).  

With so much fun and inspiration sparking wonder at the Cade this spring and all year long, both the new Animationland exhibition and Inventivity Bash are sure to draw record numbers to the museum this spring and afterward.  

For more information about the museum’s programming and outreach, visit cademuseum.org

#     #     #

Email editor@

alachuatoday.com