JM Arts Students to Explore World-Class Art with Grant from Galloway Ridge Chatham County Charitable Fund

SILER CITY, N.C. — More than 60 Jordan-Matthews High School arts students will have an opportunity to experience world-class performances this spring thanks to a grant from the Galloway Ridge Chatham County Charitable Fund.

The contribution made to JMArts, the Jordan-Matthews Arts Foundation, funds two of the five events in this inaugural season of Pinnacle of the Arts, a series allowing Jordan-Matthews students to experience world-class arts regardless of their family’s financial circumstances.

All events — including outstanding seating locations, transportation and a meal — are offered to students entirely free of charge. Most also provide personal interaction with the performers, who answer questions and provide expert perspective illuminating the artistic work students are encountering.

The Galloway Ridge Chatham County Charitable Fund grant makes it possible for more than 30 Jordan-Matthews artists to attend the North Carolina Symphony’s upcoming performance of Beethoven Symphony No. 9, one of the world’s most renowned works of classical music. It also makes it possible for another group to attend the national Broadway tour of “Kimberly Akimbo,” winner of five 2023 Tony Awards including Best Musical.

“We are grateful for the continued support of our Galloway friends,” said JMArts President Rose Pate. “Providing ‘pinnacle’ arts experiences for our students at no cost to families is one of our most important projects.”

Pinnacle of the Arts began in September with an international tour stop in Chapel Hill by contemporary music icon Herbie Hancock. Two events will be offered in December: a daylong, behind-the-scenes look at the North Carolina Museum of Art and opening night of Carolina Ballet’s renowned production of “The Nutcracker.” Those also are offered free of charge with contributions from another community foundation and two longtime JMArts members.

Becky Spence, chair of the Galloway Ridge Chatham County Charitable Fund grant committee, said it is a privilege for her group to award a grant for Pinnacle of the Arts. “The five art experiences for 30 students will broaden their knowledge of the arts and enrich their lives for years to come. What a great educational opportunity,” she said. “We at Galloway Ridge are happy to be a part of this special experience.”

More information about JMArts — including Pinnacle of the Arts, JMArts Scholars and other events throughout the arts season — is available at JMArts.org.

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JMArts launched their new Pinnacle of the Arts series earlier this fall when a group of JMArtists heard jazz legend Herbie Hancock perform in Chapel Hill. (Photo by Rose Pate)

More than 60 Jordan-Matthews High School arts students will experience world-class art this spring thanks to a grant from the Galloway Ridge Chatham County Charitable Fund.

JMArts Expands Opportunity With Chatham Arts Council Grant

SILER CITY, N.C. — JMArts, the Jordan-Matthews Arts Foundation, recently expanded arts opportunity for local high school students and professional artists thanks to a grant from the Chatham Arts Council. The $1,925 grassroots grant will be matched by JMArts to provide full funding for two major arts activities at Jordan-Matthews High School.

Most of the award will be used to provide a pit orchestra for “Matilda: The Musical,” the school’s spring theater production with three performances on March 14-16.

A collaborative effort among student and professional musicians, the “Matilda” pit orchestra provides live music for the production, giving student musicians the experience of performing in a theatrical production and student actors the opportunity to work with live musicians and deliver a richer performance. Professional musicians drawn primarily from music teachers in Chatham County Schools receive a small stipend for the considerable time and expertise they invest in the school musical.

“When we produced the North Carolina school premiere of ‘Frozen’ last spring, one of the things that received a lot of praise was our pit orchestra,” said JMArts President Rose Pate. “It was the first time in more than a decade we could offer live music and everyone loved it — audiences, actors and especially the musicians themselves. But it’s something we need financial help to do, so we couldn’t be happier that Chatham Arts Council has become an essential part of our musical.”

The rest of the award has recently been used to offer a free, three-day art workshop open to all Jordan-Matthews students. The afterschool event led by local artist Ric Harber taught basic leatherworking skills, giving students an opportunity to work in a medium they had not used before and create a final work of their own. Events like the leatherworking workshop also help support local artists and the region’s active artistic community.

“We try to offer at least one free student arts workshop every year,” Pate said. “Not long ago, it was a songwriting workshop and public concert. This year it was leather art. Students absolutely loved the experience working with Ric earlier this fall. We really appreciate Chatham Arts Council for helping us offer events like these that do so much for students, professional artists and uniting our entire creative community.”

JMArts has a vibrant portfolio of projects — all designed, as the organization puts it, to help students interested in the arts reach their dreams, whether that means a career in the arts or a lifetime of artistic expression.

Its flagship initiative, JMArts Scholars, has awarded 101 scholarships to 70 students since 2012 for intensive study over the summer, usually at weeklong, residential workshops offered on university campuses. JMArts Scholars develop their talent, explore artistic options before making their college decisions and bring what they learn back to share with other students.

But that’s just the start. JMArts’ most visible project may be producing the annual musical. Last year, it was the statewide premiere of “Frozen: The Broadway Musical” that sold out almost a week before opening night and received acclaim well beyond the immediate community.

This year, JMArts launched Pinnacle of the Arts, a new series giving Jordan-Matthews students the chance to experience world-class art entirely free of charge. Earlier this fall, about 30 students saw legendary musician Herbie Hancock perform at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in an event that included transportation and a meal before the concert.

Four more Pinnacle of the Arts events are scheduled this school year. In December, students will spend a day behind the scenes at the North Carolina Museum of Art and will attend the Carolina Ballet production of “The Nutcracker” at Raleigh’s Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts. In February, students will be in Raleigh again to hear the North Carolina Symphony perform Beethoven’s iconic Ninth Symphony. The inaugural series concludes in April with the Broadway tour of “Kimberly Akimbo” at the Durham Performing Arts Center. JMArts includes a meal with every event and works to provide an opportunity for students to ask questions and learn directly from the world-class artists during a post-performance conversation.

JMArts also produces the annual “Sing and Play” student music competition for K-12 musicians throughout the area — auditions for this season’s competition are in late January with the showcase performance scheduled for February 20 — and offers a variety of public concerts and events.

“Our members and community partners are working hard every day to expand opportunity for our students and give them meaningful experiences that can help them understand the world and shape their futures,” Pate said. “Nobody can ever do this alone. That’s why we appreciate organizations like Chatham Arts Council and their commitment to arts education and improving lives.”

More information about Chatham Arts Council is online at chathamartscouncil.org and more about JMArts is available at JMArts.org.

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Clara Rojas (Elsa), from left, Karsyn Vann (Anna) and Sandra Lopez (Olaf) performed last spring in the North Carolina school premiere of “Frozen: The Broadway Musical,” a completely sold-out run produced by JMArts with the Jordan-Matthews High School fine arts department. (Photo by Chip Pate)

Yazmin Cobos, left, and Gisele Lopez Hernandez begin their leatherworking project on day one of a free afterschool art workshop led by local artist Ric Harber. The three-day event was offered by JMArts with a grassroots grant from the Chatham Arts Council. (Photo by Rose Pate)

Projects to offer live music at “Matilda” and a free art workshop for Jordan-Matthews High School have been supported by a grassroots grant from the Chatham Arts Council. 

Gina Harrison Art Prints Added as Prizes for 2024 JMArts Raffle for the Arts

SILER CITY, N.C. — Ten beautiful, framed and matted art prints by local artist Gina Harrison have been added to the prize list for the 2024 Raffle for the Arts, an annual fall event by JMArts, the Jordan-Matthews Arts Foundation, to raise money for high school arts students to pursue their arts and participate in arts experiences beyond the school curriculum.

The generous contributions will each be awarded along with other prizes at the Jordan-Matthews High School Holiday Showcase concert on December 17. Raffle tickets are $5 each and are being sold by arts students, online, at Jordan-Matthews High School and at Siler City’s inaugural Christmas Market and Tree Lighting on December 1.

Harrison, who operates GH Designs, is an artist, graphic designer and musician who received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in studio art with an emphasis in printmaking from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The long-time arts education advocate has served two terms as a board member for Arts North Carolina, the statewide advocacy organization for the arts.

She has received awards for her arts advocacy, has held several exhibitions of her work over the last few years and is a member of JMArts who performed last spring as a keyboardist in the pit orchestra for Jordan-Matthews statewide premiere of “Frozen: The Broadway Musical.”

"Arts education in Chatham County has no better friend than Gina,” said JMArts President Rose Pate. “We’re honored to have her beautiful work as part of the Raffle for the Arts."

Each of the 10 art prints will be awarded as a separate prize and the catalog is available online at jmarts.org/s/JMArtsRaffleArtWorks24.pdf.

The grand prize for this year’s Raffle for the Arts is five $100 VISA gift cards — a total value of $500 — mailed to your home from Amazon.com. Other prizes include four tickets to Jordan-Matthews’ spring production of “Matilda: The Musical” (a $40 value) and a $20 gift card donated by The Chatham Rabbit coffee shop in downtown Siler City.

More details about the 2024 Raffle for the Arts are available at jmarts.org/events and more about Gina Harrison is online at ghdesigns.net. The JMArts website also includes detailed information about the arts foundation — including a calendar of upcoming arts events, information on membership and much more about student activities and accomplishments.

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“French Bouquet,” a giclée print with archival ink on cold press watercolor rag, is one of 10 framed and matted prints by Gina Harrison being awarded this fall as part of JMArts’ 2024 Raffle for the Arts to raise money for high school arts students.

“Sentimental Journey,” a collage-giclée signed print with archival ink on cool tone picture rag, Lokta fiber paper, will be awarded on December 17 at the Jordan-Matthews High School holiday concert as part of JMArts’ 2024 Raffle for the Arts. The framed and matted art print is one of 10 by Gina Harrison being awarded.

“Futura Circa 66,” a giclée print with archival ink on cold press watercolor rag, is one of 10 prints donated by local artist Gina Harrison as prizes for this fall’s JMArts’ 2024 Raffle for the Arts, an annual event that raises money for high school arts students. A catalog of the framed and matted prints being awarded is available from the event description on the JMArts website.