Amped Up

Boyz II Men’s velvet harmonies may be the headline, but the true crescendo of AMP Up the Arts is in the young lives it will impact.

The Grammy Award®‑winning trio performs at the Walmart AMP this September for the one-night-only benefit concert supporting Walton Arts Center’s education programs, bringing transformative arts experiences to students who might otherwise never set foot in a theater. The evening unfolds as a celebration of music’s power to enrich and uplift, fueling Walton Arts Center’s work to bring the arts into classrooms, as well as the hearts of thousands of Arkansas students. It’s a concert with an encore that echoes long after the lights go down.

With a string of record‑breaking chart-toppers including “End of the Road,” “I’ll Make Love to You,” “On Bended Knee,” and the upbeat “Motownphilly,” Boyz II Men have sold more than 60 million records worldwide and nabbed four Grammy Awards. “Recognition made us grateful — and hungry. It made us sharpen our pens, tighten our blend, and dream bigger,” Wanyá shares. “Winning our first Grammy? Unreal,” Nathan agrees. “But honestly, performing ‘End of the Road’ on The Arsenio Hall Show, that felt like a moment.” “It told us, ‘You’ve arrived,’” Shawn continues. “And we knew we had to carry that moment with integrity.” Their signature blend of lush harmonies and heartfelt lyrics have pioneered the sound of modern soul, and fans can expect favorites from across their expansive catalog when they headline AMP Up the Arts on September 11.

Last year’s debut event with rap superstar Nelly raised more than the roof of the AMP; it generated over $300,000 to support free and low‑cost arts experiences for more than 28,000 students and educators annually. “AMP Up the Arts was a brainchild of the Corporate Leadership Council to help engage young professionals in the community who may not be as familiar with Walton Arts Center and what we have to offer,” explains Jennifer Wilson, senior PR director. The concert venue can be an easier entry point to the arts for some people, she points out, and its location in Rogers offers a natural inroad for the vendor community to come alongside the arts center in its mission to dismantle barriers of access. “And we really wanted to give them a philanthropy opportunity that was different than what they can get anywhere else.”

As a nonprofit, Walton Arts Center relies on community generosity and event revenue to sustain its education mission. Donations of $103 or $128.75 get you a seat for the intimate performance, with an optional $33 donation for reserved parking — an homage to WAC’s 33rd season — unlocking a night of soulful music that directly underwrites the Classroom Series, teacher training, and a portfolio of new initiatives. “In a time when so many arts organizations are reducing educational programming,” Wilson emphasizes, “we are deepening our engagement with the community because of this great region full of people who support these programs.” The full AMP Up the Arts experience invites guests to a private cocktail hour among top sponsors, backstage meet‑and‑greet with the artists, dinner, and a short program where Honorary Chair Megan Crozier of Walmart will lead a Q&A with one of America’s most influential singing groups. When Boyz II Men takes the stage, the audience is sure to revel in the rare intimacy of seeing world-class performers among an audience of only about 3,000.

Throughout the evening, videos displayed on the AMP’s larger-than-life screens and special guests will highlight Walton Arts Center’s education work, and a Springdale Public Schools bus covered in fun facts illustrating that impact will greet arriving guests, serving as a visual reminder of the students, teachers, and programs this event supports. These enhancements aren’t mere pageantry. They reflect lessons learned from last year’s success: bringing education to the forefront doesn’t dilute the entertainment — it amplifies it, forging an emotional connection between donors and the kids and educators whose lives they change.

Behind every dollar raised at AMP Up the Arts is a story of discovery and creative belonging. In the spring, 76 students from across the region came together after school for Hip‑Hop 101, Walton Arts Center’s boldest foray into a genre often sidelined by traditional arts institutions. “So many programs focus on only one aspect of hip-hop,” Director of Learning and Engagement, Sallie Zazal reflects, drawing from her daughter’s own experience in a hip-hop class centered on dance. “There’s so much more to hip-hop; it’s a whole culture.” Zazal’s team partnered with Harvard Graduate School of Education’s Aysha Upchurch to develop the curriculum and turned to local talent — choreographers CeCe Marie and Joshoua Vang, rapper-producer Jeremiah “B.A.A.N.G.” Pickett, audio engineer and fashion designer Jasper Logan, and DJ Antonio Williams — for their expertise to immerse students in a year‑long exploration of history, music, dance, graffiti, and fashion.

If Hip‑Hop 101 awakens the beat, the Diamond Awards hit the high note of student ambition. Modeled on Broadway’s Tony Awards®, this regional competition saw 10 local high‑school musical theater programs vie for top honors. Industry professionals adjudicated full‑length musicals from schools across the region including Clarksville and Fort Smith. Thirty-two nominees for Best Actor and Best Actress, 13 Supporting Performance nominees, and four Best Ensemble finalists emerged. Students also honored their most inspiring teachers by nominating them for the Sparkle Award. During May’s Diamond Awards weekend, finalists converged on Walton Arts Center’s rehearsal studios, putting together medley performances and forging friendships with peers from across the region. “These are students who don’t know each other, coming together and creating their own community,” Zazal notes proudly.

Audrey Redwine (Cinderella) in Fayetteville High School’s production of Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella and Cardon Sullivan (Gomez Addams) in Bentonville West High School’s production of The Adams Family: The School Edition were crowned best actor and best actress and earned the right to represent Arkansas at the “Jimmy Awards®” in New York City — the Broadway League Foundation’s National High School Musical Theatre Awards®. Over a week-and-a-half in Manhattan, the pair joined 108 regional nominees for masterclasses with leading Broadway talent, networking with casting directors, and performed before an audience of industry luminaries. “The professionalism, the caliber alone of these high-school students was incredibly impressive,” Zazal says, marveling at the magnitude of the opportunity. “This is the future of theater. These are going to be the people we see on the stage in five years.” For many, it was their first plane ride, their first Broadway stage — and confirmation that no dream is too distant for students from Arkansas.

Even as Diamond Awards finalists audition for their spotlight, dozens more local teens are discovering the thrill of being theatergoers through Broadway Bridges. The program began in New York City, where more than 120,000 public‑school sophomores attend Broadway shows each year, and WAC was selected by the Broadway League as one of 24 inaugural touring venues to grow the program. Thanks to the partnership, WAC was able to offer deeply discounted tickets to touring Broadway shows for students in 9th through 12th grades. Last season, more than 220 students attended a show on the Procter & Gamble Broadway Series thanks to subsidies from Friends of Walton Arts Center. These aren’t perfunctory field trips. Students arrived as school groups — drama clubs, theater classes, after‑school ensembles — for their chosen performances before also getting to take part in talk‑backs or other exciting opportunities with cast and crew members.

“I have to give a lot of kudos to our tours,” Wilson notes, “because when I put out the call for those talk-backs, we got cast members, but also people like the projection specialist for Back to the Future who did all of the backgrounds and talked about the technical side of it. So, really opening these students’ eyes to the fact that this could be a career; you could tour with a show and never step foot on stage.” Partnering with the Broadway League for the program simplifies negotiations with touring productions and ensures access to best‑priced seats. Schools that struggle to find substitutes or contend with block scheduling now have a turnkey program to inspire their drama students — both on the stage and bringing the magic to life behind the curtain.

All of these programs build on a foundation that has stood for 33 seasons: WAC’s Classroom Series and teacher professional‑development offerings. This year, 28,000 students and educators participated in the free Classroom Series, a post‑pandemic record for the program. From puppetry to jazz ensemble showcases, each show transports second-graders to fantastical worlds and introduces middle-schoolers to the rigors of dance and drama. Meanwhile, the center’s teacher training equips K–12 educators with new strategies to weave arts integration into core subjects, fostering creativity in every corner of the curriculum.

“We were those kids — public school, modest homes — but music opened doors we never imagined,” Nathan offers, revealing the headliners’ passion for arts access. “It’s about mentorship, funding, and removing the barriers that talent alone can’t overcome.” They each have a personal touchstone. For Shawn, it was his introduction to instruments: “I remember picking up a guitar at a summer arts program and I never put it down. Access means equity. Not just having a piano in the room — but someone to show you how to use it.” Shawn’s story highlights how early support can give kids the confidence to pursue their gifts. As Wanyá puts it, “That spark becomes belief. Arts education tells kids, ‘You matter. Your voice matters.’ Every child deserves a shot, regardless of their zip code.”

As Walton Arts Center adapts budgets, forges creative partnerships, and launches new fundraisers, its commitment to expanding arts education programming remains unwavering. And the second annual AMP Up the Arts ensures that commitment shines even brighter. This is more than a concert; it’s a promise that in Northwest Arkansas, the arts will always find room to grow, to surprise, and to transform. In an era when arts education often faces contraction, AMP Up the Arts demonstrates how community support can — and does — sustain a thriving ecosystem of artistic growth. From the energy of Hip‑Hop 101 to the excitement of Diamond Awards participants taking their talents to New York, Walton Arts Center’s programs tell a narrative of inclusion, innovation, and possibility. When you reserve your seat, you won’t just be seeing R&B legends; you’re investing in the next generation of artists, educators, and audiences who will shape our region’s cultural future.

This digital version of the cover story is provided courtesy of Celebrate Arkansas Magazine for free online viewing. Enjoy our in-depth features and insights, brought to you digitally while preserving the quality and integrity of our print publication.