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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