Ashley Marie Ulbricht - Zionsville Monthly Magazine

Writer / Janelle Morrison For young professionals looking to “be in the scene,” a membership to Carmel’s premier arts centric young professional group, The Scene, is where it’s at. The Scene, established in 2011, is celebrating its fifth anniversary in conjunction with The Center for the Performing Arts’ milestone anniversary. The Scene’s membership is comprised of young professionals from in and around Hamilton County between the ages of 21-40 with diverse backgrounds but a common appreciation for the arts and making an impact. The Scene offers opportunities to enjoy great concerts, socialize with like-minded individuals and shape the cultural involvement of the areas next generation of art appreciators and supporters while advancing the mission of The Center for the Performing Arts to welcome, engage, inspire and transform through compelling performing arts experiences in a world-class environment. Members of The Scene enjoy exclusive invitations to parties and special events, opportunities to meet other young professionals with similar interests, access to behind-the-scenes artist content and ongoing members-only offers. Their members enjoy a 40 percent discount to select Center Presents shows. The Scene’s founding and current day leadership are to be commended for their successes over the last five years. The Scene’s president, Ashley Marie Ulbricht, Esq., sat down with me to reflect upon their growth and to announce the exciting opportunities ahead in 2016. “I moved to Carmel in 2012 and became active with The Scene not too long after,” Ulbricht said. "When I joined, our focus was on hosting casual meet-ups at different restaurants around the city. We would have pairings with performances at The Center for the Performing Arts to get young professionals engaged with the arts. We continue to host a pre-party meet-up prior to a scheduled performance. “I remember the first one that I attended was before the LeAnn Rimes concert. It was a beautiful day in October, and we had it out on the terrace up with the Shiel Sexton Songbook Lounge. We had a nice gathering and those who attended had a lot of fun. As a group, we have wanted to differentiate ourselves from other young professional groups. We wanted to create our own identity and focus on social networking centered around the arts.” The Scene has recently garnered the support of a sponsor, the J. C. Hart Apartment Communities. Their sponsorship will assist The Scene in their efforts to grow their membership and enable them to host their traditional pre-performance meet-ups along with mixers where their members can gather and get to know one another so that they feel comfortable attending performances together. “One of our goals is to engage the next generation of up-and-coming supporters of the arts,” Ulbricht explained. "We’re trying to get the young professionals involved with The Center so that we have an invested donor base in the future. We are also working with The Center to assist them with their educational programs as part of our engagement. We help out with programs like the Peanut Butter and Jam Series. “A portion of the ticket sales from our upcoming event, Project Trio, will be donated to The Center’s educational components. We’re going to host this event at The Tarkington and make it feel like a nightclub with an intimate setting. Project Trio will be performing on the black box stage, and afterwards we will have a cocktail party. They’re going to come out and talk with our members.” Ulbricht concluded, “The Center and the Palladium are invaluable to us. We have access to this gorgeous concert hall that rivals others across the country, and it’s so amazing to be a part of it and to be part of The Scene. Our membership helps our age demographic become engaged and enjoy the arts. Music is a bonding experience, and the similarity of all of us loving music can broaden our horizons. We are incredibly fortunate to have this world-class center that brings the music of the world to us right here in Carmel.” For membership and event information, visit The Center’s website at thecenterfortheperformingarts.org and follow The Scene on Facebook at facebook.com/BeInTheScene. Info Box: The Scene’s 2015-16 Leadership Council President Ashley Marie Ulbricht, Esq. City of Carmel Vice-President John Robbins Ignite Development Center Staff Liaisons Stephanie Decker Donor Relations Manager Jessica Patterson Marketing Manager Scene Memberships for the Fifth Anniversary Season are now on sale for only $45 PROJECT Trio Thursday, January 7 at 7:30 p.m. | The Studio Theater Special Scene Event! See YouTube stars PROJECT Trio in an intimate performance hosted by The Scene. Enjoy food, drinks and the chance to mingle with the artists following the performance at this Young Professionals event. Hear Beethoven and Django Reinhardt to Jethro Tull and hip-hop and other creative arrangements only PROJECT Trio can provide. Celtic Nights “Spirit of Freedom” Direct from Ireland Saturday, February 20 at 8 p.m. | The Palladium Scene Members: $21 Orchestra Rear Seats / Non-Members: $35 Orchestra Rear Seats Boyz II Men Thursday, March 24 at 7:30 p.m. | The Palladium SFJAZZ Collective: The Music of Michael Jackson Friday, April 8 at 8 p.m. | The Palladium Scene Members: $33 Gallery Seats / Non-Members: $55 Gallery Seats

The Scene Celebrates its Young Professionals for the Arts

The Scene Celebrates its Young Professionals for the Arts