Conjure your inner muse, don a mask, and join us for an evening of revelry in support of The Carrack.
Be dazzled by aerial performers and a legendary drag queen, the spontaneous creation of custom poems, and the captivating sounds of local musicians. Get swept away by interactive dance and follow mysterious clues in an exciting scavenger hunt. Give in to the temptation of one-of-a-kind raffle items and peculiar prizes. Slip into character and count down to the big reveal just before midnight.
The Carrack is for everyone. We’ve put together an evening of unique performances and experiences to share with you and we are thrilled to offer a “choose your price” ticket model to ensure a most welcoming masquerade. All proceeds from ticket sales support our 2016 operations. Our goal is to raise $30,000 and every dollar counts! Together as a community, we can make this fundraiser a success. Please choose a ticket price that reflects your best ability to contribute.
HOW MUCH IS THIS WORTH TO YOU?
We want every Carrack supporter and art enthusiast in the Triangle to have access to this exciting event so we are letting you choose your ticket price. We know that every guest’s contribution as a whole will allow this fundraiser to be a success. We suggest a value of $85 per guest but you may enter the price you find fair based on your own ability. If you can give more than $85, please consider doing so! By supporting The Carrack, you support a thriving local art scene and allow hundreds of local artists to share their work every year.
As a reminder, here are the costs associated with running The Carrack:
We offer 1 amazing, revelatory experience at The Muse Masquerade
- Our break-even ticket price is $25 /guest
- The average price to meet our goal is $85 /guest
- Your ticket price is $??? /guest
We’ve shown 500+ artists in 4 years and host 25+ performances each year
- Our facilities overhead is $15,600 /year
- Future part-time staff would be $1,200 /month
- Internet & website costs $141 /month
- Security is $500 /year
Artists keep 100% of their sales and are given complete creative control
- Facility costs are $1,200 /exhibit
- Gallery repairs are $67 /month
- Promotions cost $83 /month
- Marketing is $550 /year
An artist has keys to the gallery for 2 weeks and there are 100 hours per week from dedicated volunteers
- Insurance is $63 /month
- General supplies are $105 /month
- Cleaning fees are $40 /month
- Special event supplies are $1,500 /year
Each year there are 10,000 Carrack visitors; 150+ artists exhibit in our community shows
- We need 185 sustainers to pay one year’s rent and 350 guests to reach our goal
- Production & exhibition costs are $5,000 /year
- Business expenses are $75 /month
For more information about The Carrack, visit our web site.
DETAILS, DETAILS, DETAILS
Read on for information about food and drink, attire, location and parking, tax-deductible contributions and our fundraising model.
THE LOCATION
Located in the heart of downtown Durham and occupying the historic Hill Building, 21c Museum Hotel Durham is a 125-room boutique hotel, contemporary art museum, cultural civic center, and home to Counting House restaurant.
The Muse Masquerade will be held on the first floor in Gallery 1 and downstairs in the Vault. Guests also have access to all that 21c has to offer, including Counting House and the galleries upstairs. 21c Museum Hotel is located at 111 Corcoran St., Durham, NC 27705; entrances are from Corcoran Street.
Why not consider booking a room and staying the night? For more information, please visit their website or call (919) 956-6700.
FOOD AND DRINK
Heavy hors d’oeuvres prepared by Counting House and a glass of sparkling wine for a celebratory toast are included with your ticket. Additionally, guests are invited to order beer, wine and cocktails from one of five cash bars or to visit the Counting House Restaurant and Bar as they please. Please note that food and beverage purchases are not part of The Carrack’s fundraising efforts.
PARKING
21c Museum Hotel offers valet parking for this event for $5. There are also nearby parking decks; we strongly recommend familiarizing yourself with the nearby parking options in advance of the event. Street parking is always free after 6pm. We also encourage you to consider parking farther away and using Uber or Lyft to get to 21c Museum Hotel.
ATTIRE
Masks are strongly encouraged but not required. You can print your own template here, or consider attending a mask-making workshop with us the week of October 5 (check our Facebook page for details coming soon). Continuing in our tradition of a “Creative Black Tie” theme, we suggest you have some fun with your outfit; everything from tuxedos to tutus are totally appropriate, and we expect to see some Halloween costumes too.
Prizes will be awarded for: Best Mask, Best Mask & Costume Combo, Best Group Mask & Costume Combo
MORE ABOUT TICKETS AND OUR FUNDRAISING EFFORTS
We address a few anticipated questions below. Need more answers? Please do not hesitate to contact us by emailing Laura Ritchie at [email protected] or calling (704) 213-6666.
Is my ticket price tax-deductible?
The amount of your ticket contribution is not tax-deductible. If you would like to make a tax-deductible contribution to The Carrack, please follow this link now or on the confirmation page after you purchase tickets.
What does $30,000 do for The Carrack?
All proceeds raised will support the events, exhibits, programming and operations of The Carrack in 2016. Following the structure set forth by a successful Kickstarter campaign in 2011, we look to our patrons every year for support of the year ahead. We make it a point to raise 100% of our operational costs before the start of a new exhibit season so that we can ensure complete creative freedom for our artists with no commercial pressure from the space.
$30,000 covers rent, modest supply and programming needs, and will allow, for the very first time, for The Carrack to create one staff stipend in 2016. Paired with our ongoing and ever-growing Sustainer Program, our goal is to create one permanent paid position and to prepare to expand into a new space by the end of 2017.