Two of the foremost banjoists in the world, Béla Fleck and Abigail Washburn, have announced plans to donate profits from merchandise sales at an upcoming concert to the Confluence Project in Eau Clair, WI. The show will take place at the State Theatre in Eau Clair on February 27. Fleck and Washburn are known in the world of music as both a husband-and-wife duo, and also highly-respected solo artists. Fleck, regarded by some as the best banjoist in the world, is a 15-time Grammy winning artist and leads his own band, Béla Fleck and the Flecktones. Washburn is noted for her solo work, but also performs with two old time bands, Uncle Earl and Sparrow Quartet.

“The Confluence Project is a public-private partnership to redevelop a blighted area in the heart of Eau Claire at the confluence of the Eau Claire and Chippewa Rivers. The centerpiece of the project is the construction of a community arts center, public plaza, and mixed-used project that includes housing, commercial/retail space, and parking. Numerous community discussions and planning activities all have pointed to this location as key to revitalization of downtown Eau Claire, a community need for more than 40 years,” according to the Eau Clair Regional Arts Center website. More information about Fleck and Washburn can be found here.