#TwinCityConnections: Nikkie Pridgen

I chose to live and work in Winston Salem “because home is where the heart is”.  I attended college in-state at The University of North Carolina at Charlotte- but also about an hour and a half away from my friends and family.  I quickly came to realize that although Charlotte was pretty amazing, it didn’t compare to Winston Salem.  I love the feeling of ‘community’ in this city, and am excited about all that it has to offer.

Winston Salem has made great strides in Art and Innovation over recent years.  We are now getting national recognition for programs and technologies created in my home town.  We have also established a prominent Arts District, embracing the significance of artistic expression.  I have a great sense of pride in all the amazing accomplishments Winston Salem has achieved.

For 15 years my partner (Victoria Myers) and I have conducted a ton of market research, to find that 99% of bars/ nightclubs offer the exact same thing.  To have an authentic experience, one must make travel arrangements to attend an event.  As the city of Arts and Innovation, I believe that Winston Salem can be a catalyst in reinventing what we know as “nightlife”.  The premise behind the concept of N.V. Menagerie has been to bring performance arts to the bar.  Our motto is “When NY and LA meet NC”.  With so much talent in the city, including the students and alumni of UNC School of The Arts, this city could create a new nightclub culture highlighting theater and performance arts.  We intend to not only feature Burlesque shows, but everything the city has to offer (comedy, magic, aerial art, Fine art, Music and vocalist, spoken word, and much more!)  Our stage will provide our artists a platform to their peers, and a social hub for the performance arts community.  We are hoping to establish what will become a local venue that will attract people from all over the state.  Our business model is to back the growth of North Carolina economy by partnering with local vineyards and breweries, providing permanent employment, creating a platform for local arts community, and networking with local entrepreneurs to bring innovative ideas to the table.

With such an artistic theme, we would love to base this venue in The Winston Salem Downtown Arts District in hopes of drawing more visitors to the area.  N.V Menagerie Bar & Lounge would provide the city a unique, upscale social hub for both business professionals and the local Arts community.

We have recently launched our Indiegogo Kickstarter Campaign, where you can find more information on our project, as well as grab some amazing perks for your contributions!  We are hoping to raise $250,000 to over startup costs and help with Operating Costs for the first 6 months.  ( https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/n-v-menagerie-bar-and-burlesque-lounge-dance-entertainment#/ ).  Our website is https://www.nvmenagerie.com/.  You can reach us at nvmenagerie@gmail.com.