$20,000 NEA grant awarded to Spartanburg Philharmonic
January 16, 2020
Spartanburg Philharmonic has been approved for a $20,000 Art Works grant to support Discovering The Banjo. This project will improve the awareness within Spartanburg, and surrounding communities, of the banjo as an instrument with a rich musical and cultural history. Overall, the National Endowment for the Arts has approved 1,187 grants totaling $27.3 million in the first round of fiscal year 2020 funding to support arts projects in every state in the nation, as well as the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
The Art Works funding category supports projects that focus on public engagement with, and access to, various forms of excellent art across the nation; the creation of art that meets the highest standards of excellence; learning in the arts at all stages of life; and the integration of the arts into the fabric of community life.
Throughout January, the Spartanburg Philharmonic will partner with three internationally renowned banjo players to present a multi-week series of teaching residencies, film screenings, and educational outreach programs titled Discovering the Banjo. As a grand finale, the Philharmonic will present a special two-night performance event with 16-time GRAMMY award-winner Béla Fleck. Both concerts also feature Fleck’s wife, Abigail Washburn, an incredibly skilled banjoist and singer herself.
For more information on projects included in the Arts Endowment grant announcement, visit arts.gov/news.
