Infusion Funds Helps JazzArts Charlotte Leverage Long-Term, Regional Support

Funding approved in March supports JazzArts Charlotte as a Southern Cultural Treasure   Media Contacts
City of Charlotte
Gregg Watkinsgregg.watkins@charlottenc.gov JazzArts Charlotte
Rebecka Nelli
Marketing Director
rnelli@thejazzarts.org
South Arts
Ivan SchustakDirector, Communicationsischustak@southarts.orgCHARLOTTE, N.C. (July 7, 2022) — JazzArts Charlotte has joined the first cohort of the Southern Cultural Treasures program by the Atlanta-based nonprofit South Arts and the Ford Foundation, alongside 16 other BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of color) arts organizations across the southeastern United States.  Through the program, JazzArts Charlotte, a nonprofit dedicated to the presentation, education, and support of jazz in Charlotte, will have access to three years of funding, training and networking that will help the organization grow. “It’s an honor to be a part of the Southern Cultural Treasures initiative,” said Lonnie Davis, CEO and co-founder of JazzArts Charlotte. “The support and community provided by this program will help us accomplish our mission to connect the cultural community and develop an audience for jazz through quality education, performance and musician support.” JazzArts Charlotte’s inclusion in the cohort was supported by a grant from the Infusion Fund, which is a partnership of the City of Charlotte, Foundation For The Carolinas and private donors to support Charlotte-area arts and culture for three years.  The city’s Arts and Culture Advisory Board in March approved a $200,000 Infusion Fund investment in Southern Cultural Treasures while South Arts was conducting its application and selection process. The funding enabled one local organization’s participation in the cohort. As one of 17 Southern Cultural Treasures, JazzArts Charlotte will receive $300,000 in general operating grants through March 2025. The nonprofit will receive additional benefits from the program, including:

• A project grant of up to $7,500.
• Capacity-building support and training valued at approximately $100,000.
• The opportunity to network and collaborate, and to extend JazzArts Charlotte’s reach and profile nationally.
• Connections with other regional and national funders.

 “Congratulations to JazzArts Charlotte on this major accomplishment,” said Priya Sircar, the city’s arts and culture officer. “The City of Charlotte and our partners in the Infusion Fund are focused on equipping local arts groups with reliable resources and opportunities to position themselves for a stable future. JazzArts Charlotte’s participation in Southern Cultural Treasures is a perfect example of that work in action and signifies the quality and promise of Charlotte arts and culture on a regional and national level.” Southern Cultural Treasures is designed to be a measure of sustainable support. By providing BIPOC-led and -serving organizations with tools to establish their own agency and institutional narratives, the initiative encourages growth throughout the South — not only in the context of the arts, but also in the impact of surrounding communities. The 17 Southern Cultural Treasures are:

• Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame, Inc., Birmingham, Alabama
• Diaspora Vibe Cultural Arts Incubator, Miami, Florida
• Teatro Avante, Miami, Florida
• Art2Action, Tampa, Florida
• Deep Center, Savannah, Georgia
• Otis Redding Foundation, Macon, Georgia
• True Colors Theatre Company, Atlanta, Georgia
• Ballethnic Dance Company, East Point, Georgia
• Asia Institute, Louisville, Kentucky
• Junebug Productions, New Orleans, Louisiana
• Efforts of Grace, New Orleans, Louisiana
• Mississippi Center for Cultural Production, Utica, Mississippi
• B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center, Indianola, Mississippi
• JazzArts Charlotte, Charlotte, North Carolina
• Colour of Music, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina
• Catawba Indian Nation, Rock Hill, South Carolina
• Collage Dance Collective, Memphis, Tennessee

“South Arts is honored to recognize and support these 17 organizations as Southern Cultural Treasures,” said Susie Surkamer, South Arts’ president and CEO. “These groups push the boundaries of creative expression, anchor their local communities, and advance the arts in our nine-state region. Our hope is that this initiative, with the help of these organizations, will foster a more equitable art community throughout the Southeastern region.”  Learn more about the Southern Cultural Treasures program.                                                                                   ###

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About the City of Charlotte
The City of Charlotte provides services to more than 870,000 residents. The city’s priorities are workforce and business development; transportation, planning and the environment; safe communities; and great neighborhoods. Charlotte is No. 6 on U.S. News & World Report’s 150 Best Places to Live in the U.S. in 2020-21. For the latest news and updates about city government, visit the citywide newsroom atcharlottenc.gov/newsroom, and follow @CLTgov on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. About JazzArts CharlotteJazzArts Charlotte is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to the education and preservation of jazz and related art forms. This entity is made up of arts patrons, educators, performing jazz artists, business leaders, and volunteers. Its mission focuses on three program development areas:  jazz education, performance, and musician support. These three elements were established to help nurture a future audience and preserve the tradition of this great American art form, jazz. For more information, visit www.thejazzarts.org and follow JazzArts Charlotte on Facebook, Instagram, and on Twitter. About South ArtsSouth Arts advances Southern vitality through the arts. The nonprofit regional arts organization was founded in 1975 to build on the South’s unique heritage and enhance the public value of the arts. South Arts’ work responds to the arts environment and cultural trends with a regional perspective. South Arts offers an annual portfolio of activities designed to support the success of artists and arts providers in the South, address the needs of Southern communities through impactful arts-based programs, and celebrate the excellence, innovation, value and power of the arts of the South. For more information, visit www.southarts.org

This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2022.