Shelter Music Boston to Receive $10,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts
Boston, MA—National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Jane Chu has approved more than $30 million in grants as part of the NEA’s first major funding announcement for fiscal year 2017. Included in this announcement is a Challenge America grant of $10,000 to Shelter Music Boston for monthly chamber music concerts in Boston area homeless shelters. The Challenge America category supports primarily small and mid-sized organizations for projects that extend the reach of the arts to underserved populations—those whose opportunities to experience the arts are limited by geography, ethnicity, economics, or disability.
“The arts are for all of us, and by supporting organizations such as Shelter Music Boston, the National Endowment for the Arts is providing more opportunities for the public to engage with the arts,” said NEA Chairman Jane Chu. “Whether in a theater, a town square, a museum, or a hospital, the arts are everywhere and make our lives richer.”
This grant will provide homeless individuals the opportunity to experience classical music concerts by musicians such as Julie Leven, Javier Caballero, Rebecca Strauss, and Joyce Alper. Many of the individuals in the homeless shelters suffer from poverty, mental health issues, substance use, and social isolation. Following each performance, extensive conversations about music and related topics among shelter guests, staff, and the musicians will occur.
“It is rare for a homeless person to be asked their opinion about anything, let alone something as complex as classical music” says SMB Founder and Artistic Director Julie Leven. “Our audience members learn that they can connect with themselves and others via this music; they can express their ideas and opinions and be treated with respect as a result. This interaction turns concerts into a vital social service tool. This is the work of 21st century artists, and SMB musicians lead the way.”
For more information on projects included in the NEA grant announcement, visit arts.gov/news.
“The arts are for all of us, and by supporting organizations such as Shelter Music Boston, the National Endowment for the Arts is providing more opportunities for the public to engage with the arts,” said NEA Chairman Jane Chu. “Whether in a theater, a town square, a museum, or a hospital, the arts are everywhere and make our lives richer.”
This grant will provide homeless individuals the opportunity to experience classical music concerts by musicians such as Julie Leven, Javier Caballero, Rebecca Strauss, and Joyce Alper. Many of the individuals in the homeless shelters suffer from poverty, mental health issues, substance use, and social isolation. Following each performance, extensive conversations about music and related topics among shelter guests, staff, and the musicians will occur.
“It is rare for a homeless person to be asked their opinion about anything, let alone something as complex as classical music” says SMB Founder and Artistic Director Julie Leven. “Our audience members learn that they can connect with themselves and others via this music; they can express their ideas and opinions and be treated with respect as a result. This interaction turns concerts into a vital social service tool. This is the work of 21st century artists, and SMB musicians lead the way.”
For more information on projects included in the NEA grant announcement, visit arts.gov/news.
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