ABILENE, Texas — The Abilene Cultural Affairs Council is hosting “In the Heights of Hollywood: An Evening with Nelson Coates” at 6 p.m. Saturday, May 1 at the Center for Contemporary Arts, 220 Cypress St.
According to an ACAC press release, the event will celebrate the work of Nelson Coates, a movie and television production designer. Coates is an Abilene High School and Abilene Christian University graduate.
The event will benefit the HeARTS for the ARTS grant program, which supports programming for children and special populations presented by Abilene art organizations.
“We are thrilled to honor such a talented person who has risen to the top of his profession and is willing to take time to share his experiences at this celebration benefiting our art organizations,” Lynn Barnett, Abilene Cultural Affairs Council executive director, said.
The event will begin at 6 p.m. at the Center for Contemporary Arts with a dinner where Rolando Diaz, an ACU alum and artist, will create an original painting, which will be auctioned.
At 7:45 p.m., the celebration will move to the Paramount Theatre, where Coates will answer questions and receive a Lifetime Achievement Award.
Coates has worked on approximately 50 movies throughout several countries. He was production designer for the film adaption of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “In the Heights” as well as in the romantic comedy “Crazy Rich Asians,” the release said.
The dinner is sold out; however, tickets for the Paramount Theatre are available at abilenecac.org/hearts.
