(BALTIMORE, MD) -- Mid Atlantic Arts has announced 45 grants through its 2021-2022 ArtsCONNECT touring program. The grants, awarded directly to the presenting organizations, will provide $338,375 in support of tours by 12 performing artists and ensembles at 38 different performing arts presenters in the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Supported presenters include two grantees new to the ArtsCONNECT program, and represent a mix of independent, municipal, and university-based organizations from urban, suburban, and rural communities across the mid-Atlantic region.
Mid Atlantic Arts is working with all of our grantees to be as flexible as possible during the pandemic. At the time of this press release, ArtsCONNECT presenters and artists were working together to select engagement dates while taking into account the necessary health precautions to ensure a successful partnership. For more information on a particular engagement, please contact the venue directly.
Tours will visit the following organizations and communities in-person or virtually over the next twelve months:
7NMS: Marjani Forté-Saunders + Everett Saunders (CA & NY) - Show at top. 7NMS is the co-visioning work of composer Everett Saunders and choreographer Marjani Forté-Saunders. The two tote a revolutionary commitment to art & performance as a ministry of liberation. 7NMS will be performing PROPHET: Learn Me, Led me, Fed Me during this tour. Photo Credit: M62Photography.
* Community Theater Project Corporation, Pittsburgh, PA
* Henry Street Settlement, New York, NY
* Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY
Ballet Hispanico (NY) - The nation's largest Latinx dance organization recognized as one of America's National Treasures, Ballet Hispanico will present Noche de Oro, the company's 50th Anniversary Celebration programming. Photo Credit: Paula Lobo.
* George Mason University Foundation, Inc., Fairfax, VA
* James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA
* Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
* Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA
Buster Williams & Something More (NJ) - A prodigious artist whose playing knows no limits, legendary bassist Buster Williams leads his all-star quartet including Steve Wilson on saxophone, George Colligan on piano, and Lenny White on drums. Works performed by the quartet will include compositions by each of the four members, drawing upon a wide breadth of jazz styles and eras.
* ArtsWestchester, White Plains, NY
* Cape May Forum, Cape May, NJ
* City Parks Foundation, New York, NY
* TRANSART and Cultural Services, Inc., West Park, NY
* The Virginia Arts Festival, Inc., Norfolk, VA
* William Paterson University of New Jersey, Wayne, NJ
* Zeiders American Dream Theater, Virginia Beach, VA
Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana (NY) - Founded in 1983, Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana (FVCS) is one of America's premier flamenco companies. Engagements will support the tour of Latida, an evening-length work by Jose Maldonado, and Tablao Flamenco, which captures the spirit of Spain's flamenco cafes. Photo Credit: Christopher Duggan.
* Lake Placid Center for the Arts, Lake Placid, NY
* Stockton University, Galloway, NJ
* University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, NY
Gamelan Cudamani (Canada & NY) - Internationally hailed as one of Bali's most forward-thinking music and dance ensembles, Çudamani is known for exceptional creativity and artistry in service to both the classical treasures of Balinese tradition and innovative original works. for 2021-2022 Çudamani will be touring a new work, WATER-TIRTA. Photo Credit: Hollis Ashby.
* Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA
* Goucher College, Baltimore, MD
* Lafayette College, Easton, PA
* University of Richmond, Richmond, VA
Harlem Quartet with Aldo López-Gavilán (USA & Cuba) - Harlem Quartet’s performances with Cuban pianist/composer Aldo López-Gavilán offer a joyous experience. This tour blends the classical music of Robert Schumann with López-Gavilán's electrifying jazz. Photo Credit: Juan Miguel Hernandez.
* Shenandoah University, Winchester, VA
* St. John School of the Arts, Inc., St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands
* University of Maryland College Park Foundation, Inc., College Park, MD
Kinetic Light (NY) - Kinetic Light is a disability arts ensemble working at the nexus of disability and access, dance, and race through performance, technology, and design. Through innovative new artistic work, field-building initiatives, and educational programs, Kinetic Light promotes disability as a creative force enabling full, multi-layered understanding of the world. The company will be performing Under Momentum and DESCENT on this tour. Photo Credit: BRITT / Jay Newman.
* DC Wheel Productions, Inc., Washington, DC
* Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Geneva, NY
* The Research Foundation for The State University of New York, Albany, NY
* Rutgers University Foundation, New Brunswick, NJ
* University of Rochester, Rochester, NY
Kyle Marshall Choreography (NJ) -- Kyle Marshall Choreography (KMC) sees the dancing body as a container of history, an igniter of social reform, and a site of celebration. KMC will be performing works from their repertory, including Joan, I and I, STELLAR, and Rise. Photo Credit: Robert Torres.
* Dancenow/NYC, Inc., New York, NY
* Rutgers University Foundation, New Brunswick, NJ
* Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
Nrityagram Dance (India) -- Nrityagram Dance Ensemble is one of the premiere Indian classical dance ensembles performing today. This all-female ensemble will partner with Chitrasena Dance Company from Sri Lanka to present the work, Ahuti. Photo Credit: Margaret Lawrence.
* George Mason University, Fairfax, VA
* Joyce Theater Foundation, Inc., New York, NY
* Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA
Ronald K. Brown/EVIDENCE, A Dance Company (NY) -- Ronald K. Brown/EVIDENCE promotes the understanding of the human experience in the African diaspora through dance and storytelling. The company will tour The Equality of Night and Day, a new work that completes the trilogy started with Grace and Mercy. Photo Credit: Ernesto Mancebo.
* Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA
* The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, DC
* Joyce Theater Foundation, Inc., New York, NY
Waves Across Time: Traditional Dance and Music of Okinawa (Japan) -- Commemorating the 50th anniversary of Okinawa’s reversion to Japan from the U.S., Waves Across Time features a variety of musical and dance pieces, as well as theatrical works spanning almost 500 years of the island's history. Photo Credit: Allison Remy Hall.
William Parker Trio (NY) -- William Parker is a free jazz double bassist, multi-instrumentalist, poet and composer, renowned for his work in jazz and improvised music. The William Parker Trio, composed of William Parker (shakuhachi, guimbri and flutes), Cooper-Moore (handmade instruments), and Hamid Drake (drums and percussion) have been performing together in a variety of lineups for over three decades. This tour will feature a mixture of composed and improvised pieces. Photo Credit: Peter Gannushkin.
* Arts for Art, Inc., New York, NY
* Ars Nova Workshop, Philadelphia, PA
* CapitalBop, Inc., Washington, DC
A complete list of ArtsCONNECT grants, including links to presenters and artists, can be accessed here.
Mid Atlantic Arts convened a virtual panel, composed of five artists and arts professionals, on July 12-15, 2021 to review the applications and make recommendations.
ArtsCONNECT provides support for touring projects collaboratively developed by presenter consortia in the mid-Atlantic region. The tours include performances as well as complementary engagement activities designed to create greater understanding or connections between artists, audiences, and communities.
ArtsCONNECT is made possible through the generous support of the National Endowment for the Arts' Regional Touring Program.
Mid Atlantic Arts supports artists, presenters, and organizations through unique programming, grant support, partnerships, and information sharing. Created in 1979, Mid Atlantic Arts is aligned with the region’s state arts councils and the National Endowment for the Arts. We combine state and federal funding with private support from corporations, foundations, and individuals to nurture diverse artistic expression while connecting people to meaningful arts experiences within our region and beyond.
