Jeffrey McDermott understands that the Center for the Performing Arts’ annual gala has a challenging mission each year.

“Our goal every year is to create an unforgettable experience for our most vital supporters, and that’s a challenge, because this audience knows what we can do,” said McDermott, president and chief executive officer of the Center for the Performing Arts. “In choosing a headliner, we look for artists who not only have broad appeal but also have made distinctive contributions to the music world. That’s true of our previous headliners, like Chris Isaak and Straight No Chaser, and it’s certainly true of Amy Grant, who has enjoyed great success while also breaking boundaries in the industry. She’s a proven hit with our patrons, and we look forward to seeing her in this intimate setting.”

Singer-songwriter Grant, a six-time Grammy Award winner, will perform at The Center Celebration, which is set to begin at 5 p.m. Sept. 23. Grant previously performed at the Palladium in October 2012 and again to a sold-out house in May 2019.

The event includes a cocktail hour, dinner, performance by Grant and after-parties throughout the Palladium. There is also a live auction. It is the Center’s key fundraising event of the year.

McDermott said the event is an opportunity to gather supporters together and rededicate the Center’s mission of engaging and inspiring the community.

Proceeds from the gala support the Center’s arts and educational programming, including Center Presents performances as well as children’s concerts and camps, book clubs, lectures and music classes. The Center also offers free student matinees for school groups and a Transportation Grant Program that reimburses their travel costs.

Jeff and Shari Worrell of Carmel, serving their second year as steering committee co-chairs, are joined by Carmel resident Adam Arceneaux in the first of his two years as a co-chair. Arceneaux is Indianapolis managing partner at the law firm Ice Miller LLP, the gala’s presenting partner,

The Center’s 2022 gala marked a return to an on-site, in-person format after a two-year hiatus because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The sold-out event, featuring Straight No Chaser, at the Palladium raised more than $689,000 in support of the Center’s arts and educational programming.

For more, visit thecenterpresents.org/gala.