Junction City’s premier art gala, The Velvet Masque, will return next month at the restored Lyric Hall after a three-year hiatus. The event will feature installations from local and regional artists and a performance by cellist Victor Armand.

Event organizers emphasize this year’s theme of “transformation and shadow,” with several exhibits rumored to use interactive light and projection techniques. “Art should challenge perception,” said curator Eloise Dray.

Tickets sold out within hours of announcement, though some attendees have received personal invitations sealed with crimson wax — a tradition no one on staff seems able to trace back to previous years.