Pig in the Park

Most of the students who auditioned for ArtXecute’s production of The Lion King had participated in our six-week summer workshops but not her.

We had never seen her before.

But after she sang, danced, and read for the role of Young Simba, the room went still. When she finished, the entire audition team looked at one another and asked the same question: Who in the world was that?

Her name was Alexis.

We later learned that Alexis had heard about our auditions from a flyer left at the Boys & Girls Club of Wayne County.

I remember walking that flyer into the Club myself. It was a simple ask—would they share it with families as students were picked up? They agreed without hesitation. What followed was immediate: calls from parents, new faces at auditions, and opportunities that otherwise would not have existed.

Alexis was one of the first students from the Boys & Girls Club to step onto an ArtXecute stage. She was not the last.

Since then, that initial connection has grown into a meaningful partnership—one that continues to create access for students who might not otherwise find their way into the arts. And for us, that is where the work begins. The stage is not the destination; it is the training ground. It is where discipline is built, confidence is tested, and potential is revealed.

That is why, when the Boys & Girls Club invited ArtXecute to participate in their annual Pig in the Park fundraiser, our answer was immediate.

This time, Alexis wasn’t walking into an unfamiliar audition room.

She was walking onto a stage—prepared.

Alongside other ArtXecute students, she performed selections from Annie, representing not just her own growth, but the impact of a partnership rooted in opportunity, trust, and shared investment in young people.

We are proud to stand alongside the Boys & Girls Club of Wayne County in that work. What began with a single flyer has become something far more significant: a pathway.

There truly is gold in Goldsboro.

And together, we are helping that gold to shine!

From a flyer…to the stage.

Proud to partner with the Boys & Girls Club of Wayne County to create real opportunities for Wayne County youth.

#ArtXecute #TheresGoldInGoldsboro #PigInThePark.

Photo by Megan Chimombe