The NOCCA Foundation will bring New Orleans’ legacy of arts education to the nation’s capital with “NOCCA in the Capital,” a two-day celebration taking place June 4–5 in Washington, D.C.

The event will commemorate more than 50 years of excellence at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts while examining the evolving role of creativity and arts education in the age of artificial intelligence. Honorary co-chairs include Louisiana Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser, U.S. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, music executive Troy Carter and former U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu. Special guests are expected to include Helena Moreno, former U.S. Sen. John Breaux Sr. and former National Urban League President Marc Morial.

The celebration begins June 4 with a special theater outing featuring acclaimed actor and NOCCA alumnus Wendell Pierce in Shakespeare Theatre Company’s production of Othello. Attendees will have the opportunity to participate in a VIP reception before the performance, enjoy premium seating and attend a post-show meet-and-greet with Pierce.

On June 5, the NOCCA Foundation will host an Arts and Education Summit, bringing together artists, educators, policymakers and technology leaders for discussions focused on the future of creativity, education and artificial intelligence.

The summit will be moderated by journalist Michelle Miller, former co-host of CBS Saturday Morning, and feature a panel of speakers with strong New Orleans ties. Participants include Grammy Award-winning musician, producer and NOCCA alumnus Malik Ninety Five; AI and public policy expert Prashanthi Raman; multimedia artist, entrepreneur and Danity Kane founder Dawn Richard; award-winning filmmaker and NOCCA alumnus Kiel Adrian Scott; and Gary Solomon Jr., NOCCA alumnus and CEO of Solomon Group.

Organizers say the event is designed to honor NOCCA’s impact on generations of artists while fostering conversations about how emerging technologies are reshaping creative industries.

Tickets and additional information are available at NOCCAat50.org.