For Immediate Release:
July 20, 2004

Contact:
Marie Profant, John E. Profant Foundation for the Arts
(805) 682-8184

Wilkie Legacy Honored at Fiesta Finale on August 8th

The John E. Profant Foundation for the Arts announced today that the 5th Annual Fiesta Finale will be held at the Santa Barbara Courthouse on the evening of August 8, 2004.  Fiesta Finale will be hosted by Honorary Chairs Jon and Bonnie Henricks.  The Fiesta Finale will honor the legacy of the Wilkie Family Fiesta Parties, and most especially the memory of their hostess, Adele Wilkie. 

“My mother used to say that Fiesta Finale performance ‘could be taken around the world on tour!’,” said Bonnie Henricks, “this is an evening of memories which last a lifetime”.

The evening begins 5:30 pm with the Decorative Fan Project Exhibit and Silent Auction which features artwork by local artists and celebrities created on fold-out, Spanish-style fans.  A Mediterranean themed buffet dinner in the halls of the Santa Barbara Courthouse will be followed by an 8 pm free public performance of music and dance featuring the State Street Ballet, Eli Villanueva of LA Opera, and Kerry Walsh in the Sunken Garden. The Fiesta Finale tradition of the “painting that comes to life”, will feature flamenco dancer Marcellina de Luna. County Supervisor-Elect Salud Carbajal and City Council Member Roger Horton will also present the Michelangelo Awards for support of the arts on behalf of the John E. Profant Foundation for the Arts.

Designer Barbara Burgess is Chair of the Gala, and Barbara Benon is Chair of the Costume Contest, featuring prizes such as a 2 night stay at the El Encanto Hotel.  Joyce Cooper is Chair of the Fan Project which will be on display at Saks Fifth Avenue from July 27 - August 7.
The John E. Profant Foundation for the Arts provides scholarships for artists of all ages in art, dance, literature, music and theater.  This event is sponsored by the Woods Claeyssens Foundation, Performing Arts Scholarship Foundation, the Hutton Foundation and many business partners.  Tickets for the Gala are $125.  For more information on Fiesta Finale or the organization, please contact Marie Profant at (805) 682-8184 or see www.profant.org.