National Grant Support for 2012 Lansing JazzFest!

The 2012 Lansing JazzFest has been awarded a $10,000 grant by the National Endowment for the Arts: Challenge America Fast-Track program (CAFT).

NEA chairman Rocco Landesman noted, “Art works everywhere,” which is why the CAFT program supports projects from primarily small and mid-sized arts organizations that extend the reach of the arts to underserved audiences—those whose opportunities to experience the arts are limited by geography, ethnicity, economics, or disability.

The NEA has consistently supported organizations that provide access and exposure to artistic excellence to surrounding communities. This will be the second time Lansing JazzFest has received this grant, and it is one of only three recipients in the state of Michigan.

“This grant and our dedicated sponsors and volunteers are what make us able to create a cutting-edge slate of jazz musicians and learning opportunities,” said Terry Terry, president of Michigan Institute of Contemporary Art, the festival’s producer. “The Lansing JazzFest creates an open space for everyone in the community to celebrate and imagine new possibilities.”

Entering its 18th year, the Lansing JazzFest has come far from its inception in 1995. In its early days, local musicians donated their time to play at JazzFest and volunteers from the neighborhood and the local community pitched in to see the 4,000-5,000 people in attendance had a good time. Now the festival brings national and regional acts to an audience of roughly 10,000 people from across Michigan and nearby states.

These premiere events continue to be FREE through the dedication of a volunteer committee and hundreds of community volunteers, and the generosity of supporting grantors and sponsors.
This year’s festival will take place Friday, August 3 and Saturday, August 4, 2012 in the streets of Old Town, surrounding by the best of the capital city’s art galleries, as well as unique retail stores and grand architecture.

This year’s headliners include Tim Cunningham (from St. Louis, Mo.), Edye Evans Hyde (from Grand Rapids, Mich.) and Etienne Charles (from Trinidad).

“Taken together, these Challenge America Fast-Track grants provide an extraordinary sampling of the work that arts organizations do to reach underserved communities,” said Chairman Landesman. “With these grants, we are helping to ensure that art works for all Americans.”

The program is called Fast-Track because of its expedited review timeline. Lansing JazzFest producer Michigan Institute for Contemporary Art (MICA) was notified approximately six months after applying. Also, with 375 eligible applications submitted from across the country, there was significant competition for funding for these grants. MICA’s grant award is evidence of the artistic excellence and artistic merit of the Lansing JazzFest.