Priscilla Presley has spent a lifetime in the spotlight, but when she speaks, there’s a gentleness — an ease — that makes you forget she’s one of the most recognizable women in American pop culture. 

That warmth will take center stage as part of the Mesa Arts Center Foundation Gala, which begins at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 28, followed at 8 p.m. by “An Intimate Evening with Priscilla Presley.”

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“The gala is more than an unforgettable evening. It’s a celebration of the generosity that fuels everything Mesa Arts Center does,” said Mike Hutchinson, Mesa Arts Center Foundation Gala committee chair. 

“Welcoming Priscilla Presley to Mesa allows us to bring people together around a powerful story while raising essential support for arts engagement and community impact across our city.”

Funds raised at The Mesa Arts Center Foundation Gala strengthen the nonprofit’s mission to engage with Mesa Arts Center to support the arts through community advocacy, philanthropy and service. The event is supported by foundation chair Rose Hanne and the foundation board and is presented by Gateway Bank and Schnepf Farms in partnership with the Mesa Arts Center Foundation.

For her part, Presley will share stories of her life with Elvis Presley and allow audience members to ask questions. Although she was only 14 when she met Elvis, her memories are clear and tell a fascinating tale of a young girl whom Elvis wanted to know, for reasons she finally explains. Elvis died in 1977. 

Priscilla will share private film clips, including time at home, on vacation and the intimate time they spent with their only child, Lisa Marie.

She speaks of Elvis as a husband and a father, and of the challenge of being married to the King. She talks about how she coped with the attention and the “women” who always seemed to be in their lives. 

As glamorous as her life was, it was not always easy. As Elvis grew older, she had to learn how to navigate all that came with his fame. She will share how she dealt with his death.

Priscilla is no stranger to supporting causes that matter. “I do a lot,” she said with a soft laugh, “but I also like doing the nonprofits as well, very much.” Her appearance in Mesa is part of a year filled with travel and storytelling, but she’s careful not to overload herself. 

“I try not to clog myself up with a lot of things at once,” she said. “I don’t like that at all because I go into a frenzy — ‘Oh my gosh, I have to do this, I have to do that.’ I like just taking it a lot easier.”

Still, when the right event comes along, she shows up fully. And the Mesa Arts Center Gala is one of those moments.

Priscilla’s conversations with audiences often circle back to her book, “Softly, As I Leave You: Life After Elvis.” These stories, she admitted, can stir up unexpected feelings. “Sometimes there are laughs, sometimes tears,” she said. “You can jump in and live it again, and then you have memories and feelings. Losing someone you love… you carry that with you all your life.”

She doesn’t shy away from the emotional complexity. In fact, she embraces it. “You have to enjoy yourself,” she said. “You have to be happy, and you have to go out and do things for yourself — and maybe even make it better for others.”

When asked whether certain Elvis songs still spark emotion, Presley didn’t hesitate. “I was with him when he recorded some of those songs,” she said. “Those are the ones … because they’re mine.” The memories are intimate — moments in the studio, watching the creative process unfold without the filters of modern technology. “Back then, there wasn’t anything to change voices or cell phones held up at shows,” she said. “Shows were very special.”

Her connection to the music remains deeply personal, and she hints she may share some of those stories onstage in Mesa. “Maybe I’ll tell that part of my story,” she said with a smile in her voice.

For Presley, these events are more than public appearances — they’re conversations, shared memories, and moments of healing. “It’s been great,” she said simply.

As the gala approaches, she’s looking forward to meeting the community, sharing her stories, and supporting a venue dedicated to the arts — something she deeply believes in.

That philosophy is part of what makes her appearances so compelling. Audiences don’t just hear stories; they feel them.