New Public Relations Director @ Asheville Arts Center

The Asheville Arts Center welcomes their new Director of Public Relations!

The Asheville Arts Center welcomes Michael Wilson to the Arts Center family as the new Director of Public Relations! Brought in about a month ago, Michael has already been working diligently to further the Arts Center's current marketing strategies and dreaming up new, innovative programs with a strong community focus. His grand vision is strongly tied to the notion that the Asheville Arts Center is a major resource for performing arts education in our community. The key to success is supporting the community that supports the Arts Center.

Michael Wilson has two talents: performing and marketing. His first experience with the Asheville Arts Center was this past Spring, playing the title role, Tommy/Narrator, in "The Who's Tommy." While rehearsing the show, through several conversations with the owners of the Arts Center, Michael was offered the opportunity to combine his two talents. Needless to say, this is a dream come true. He jumped right in.

While this is Michael's first full-time job in the performing arts, he has been doing sales & marketing since he was a teenager. Raised by the general manager of a high-volume wine shop in suburban Massachusetts, Michael spent his childhood surrounded by salesmen, including his father. From an early age, he began to see the differences between high- and low-pressure sales tactics and was introduced to the language of sales through his formative years. From the onset, Michael had a clear vision that truly successful salesmen are honest and full of integrity. Having done sales & marketing for over 16 years, he has been very successful in selling a diverse range of products, including natural, specialty & organic foods, high-end kitchen wares, wine, niche online/print advertising and promotional items/apparel. "The connection between being an actor and a salesman has been noted many times, with good reason," states Wilson, "Both are story-tellers, both share an experience with an audience. Both have a burning desire to communicate clearly."In the performing arts spectrum, Michael has been performing since the 3rd grade, when his music teacher pulled him out of class and asked him to sing Where is Love? From "Oliver!" in the school talent show. Since then, he has performed in over 30 plays and musicals. Some highlighted roles include Tony in "West Side Story," Claude Hooper Bukowski in "Hair," Dickon in "The Secret Garden," Rev. John Hale in "The Crucible," Johnny Guitar in "Johnny Guitar, The Musical," Kippy Sunderstom in "Take Me Out" and Jesus in "Jesus Christ Superstar," here in Asheville. Michael has also done plenty of behind the scenes work on shows, directing or stage managing several productions. His extensive theatre experience aids him greatly in understanding and implementing his marketing abilities in the performing arts arena.

Michael is extremely excited to be on board as the Asheville Arts Center continues to parallel the growth of Asheville itself. Being fairly tech-savvy, Michael's approach promises to be cutting-edge, utilizing social networking, blogging and local business networking to further the Asheville Arts Center's foothold in our community's consciousness. He believes that our community simply needs to walk through the doors and experience the Arts Center and all that they have to offer. Once the threshold has been crossed, people will be hooked.

The Asheville Arts Center is a school based on unlimited opportunities for students of all ages to explore their interests in music, dance and drama. We foster a love and appreciation for the arts through student-teacher relationships, which encourage and help you excel at your dream. We offer high-quality instruction and educational experiences because we are committed to the art of teaching and the teaching of the arts. It is our hope to build art and awareness in the community and provide a "home" for families to pursue their dreams.