23rd Annual Arts Brunch Honoring Charlie Huntley ’71 and Neil Wright ‘81

After a two-years-plus pandemic-related hiatus, The New York Carolina Club, UNC Department of Dramatic Art, UNC Department of Music, Carolina Performing Arts, Ackland Art Museum, and the UNC General Alumni Association cordially invite you to attend the 23rd Brunch to Celebrate the Arts at Carolina.

WHEN: Sunday, Sept. 18, 12-2 p.m.
WHERE: The University Club, 1 West 54th Street

This year’s pair of recipients of the John L. Haber (“Habey”) Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Arts will be legendary television camera operator Charlie Huntley ’71 and innovative graphics producer/3D computer animator Neil Wright ’81. The event will be emceed by Bryan Tucker ‘93, senior writer for “Saturday Night Live.”

GAA President Doug Dibbert, Playmaker Rep Artistic Director Vivienne Benesch and Ackland Art Museum Director Katie Ziglar, Lauren Anne Scarborough of Carolina Performing Arts, and Kathryn Wagner of Arts Everywhere, among other UNC officials, will be in attendance. Per tradition, we will also spotlight a young alumnus: actor-musician Allen Tedder ’14, who was guitarist for the Broadway run of To Kill a Mockingbird from 2018-2022.

Ticket Price: $75 / GAA members: $55.
Young alumni (Classes of 2012-22): $55 / Young alumni (Classes of 2012-22) GAA members: $35.

Purchase your tickets HERE today!

*DRESS CODE: Please be advised of The University Club’s dress code, which is in effect at all times. Male guests must wear dress shirts and jackets (ties are not required). Female guests must wear clothing of equivalent formality. Jeans and other denim apparel, sneakers and shorts are strictly prohibited.

*PARKING: Reduced rate parking is available at the ABM parking garage located at 17 East 54th Street between Fifth & Madison Avenues. Guests must get their parking stub validated at the Club’s front desk to receive a discount.

Per tradition, there will be a casual “after party” where folks can visit further and socialize following the brunch. Join us for drinks at Copper John’s at 160 West 54th Street. Cash bar.

Charlie Huntley ’71 was born in Providence, Rhode Island, in 1949, and 10 years later, his family moved to Salisbury (and later Greensboro), NC. He attended the Radio TV High School Institute at UNC-Chapel Hill the summer of 1967 leading into his freshman year to major in RTVMP (“Radio, TV, & Motion Picture”). Charlie quickly developed skills as a camera operator and worked on countless broadcasts including live news, the North Carolina Symphony, and UNC basketball and football, as well as documentary film projects. As a student, he was already working commercially 1968-71 for C.D. Chesley’s ACC Basketball Network.

Charlie won his first of five Emmy Awards as part of the ABC Sports camera team for the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary. He has been a camera operator for Tony Award broadcasts from 1978 to the present. He was the eye behind the camera for both MTV’s “Unplugged” (1990-94) and VH1’s “Storyteller” (1990-2005), which included episodes featuring such acts as Eric Clapton, the Allman Brothers Band, Nirvana, Tony Bennett, KD Lang, Bruce Springsteen, Melissa Ethridge, Bonnie Raitt, and Stevie Nicks.

If these aren’t enough credits, Charlie was a primary camera operator for “Live from Lincoln Center” from 1984-2014 and for “Live in HD from The Met” from 2009-2016. He’s also been behind the camera at various Grammy Award broadcasts, NBC 2013’s “The Sound of Music Live” starring Carrie Underwood, and Kennedy Center Honors from 1992 to the present.

Charlie has also won three Peabody Awards, and is now portraying a network camera operator on “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” (Season 2, 4, and 5 currently shooting) on Amazon. He modestly quips “I’ve come full circle!”

Neil Wright ’81 was Tar Heel born and bred in Fallston, North Carolina, and upon entering UNC-Chapel Hill, he knew that broadcasting media was in his realm of interest and ambition. He graduated with a degree in Radio, Television & Motion Pictures (RTVMP), having served as crew chief for public network UNC-TV from 1980-81. Neil as an undergrad clocked in many professional hours as a vacation relief freelancer at NBC. After graduation the network hired him directly and he remained there for over 35 years. He primarily worked for NBC Sports and Olympics as a Graphic Producer/3D Computer Animator.

Neil’s technical know-how and creativity led to revolutionary advances leading to how graphics are displayed on television today. He contributed graphic support for 13 Olympic Games, NFL and Super Bowls, MLB Game of the Week and World Series, NBA Finals, All-Star Games, NHL, French Open, Wimbledon, and NASCAR, among other NBC Sports properties. He created a one of a kind “real-time” graphics playback system for NBC’s National Heads-Up Poker series. Neil has earned over 20 National Sports Emmy Awards for Production, Graphic Design and Technical Achievements. He’s also a four-time winner of Broadcast Designers Association PROMAX Gold Awards. Neil credits Bobby Royster ’68, who encouraged and introduced TV to him, and Charlie Huntley as a trailblazer, mentor, and role model. His daughter Hayley is also a Carolina alumna, class of 2013.

Date:
September 18, 2022
Time:
12:00 pm — 2:00 pm
Location:
The University Club of New York 1 W 54th St, New York, NY 10019, USA