JMARTS SCHOLARS
Scholarships are awarded each year allowing students to continue study over the summer, usually at weeklong, residential workshops offered on university campuses. JMArts Scholars not only refine their own art, but they bring back new perspectives and expertise to share with other students during the academic year.
ANNUAL MUSICAL
The North Carolina School Premiere of Frozen: The Broadway Musical. Annie. Grease. Footloose. Fiddler on the Roof. In the Heights. The Little Mermaid. Into the Woods. Oklahoma! Shrek The Musical. All annual musicals are produced with assistance from JMArts, which provides funding to secure performance rights and expertise to produce, direct and promote the often sold-out performances our community enjoys every year.
PINNACLE OF THE ARTS
Designed so more students can experience world-class arts, Pinnacle of the Arts provides a calendar of events for about 30 students each at no cost to their families. We also work to arrange post-performance opportunities to meet the artists and learn more. This inaugural 2024-25 season includes contemporary music icon Herbie Hancock’s international tour, Carolina Ballet’s renowned “The Nutcracker,” the national Broadway tour of “Kimberly Akimbo,” the North Carolina Symphony performing Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, and a daylong, behind-the-scenes exploration of the North Carolina Museum of Art. (Carolina Ballet photo © Chris Walt Photography)
new york arts adventure
Eight upperclass arts students spend spring break in New York City to gain new perspectives, explore one of the world’s great cities, learn in person from renowned artists and experience the very best in theater, dance, music and visual arts. Here’s the most recent trip. Photo: JM students conclude a discussion on stage with Tony and Grammy Award winner Ari'el Stachel (Haled) and Grammy Award winner Etai Benson (Papi) after “The Band's Visit.”
FREE STUDENT WORKSHOPS
Working with community partners including the Chatham Arts Council and Galloway Ridge Chatham County Charitable Fund, JMArts brings professional artists into the school to share their expertise and offer hands-on experiences. Some free, recent workshops have included songwriting, gourd-based art and Latin dance.
“SING AND PLAY” STUDENT MUSIC COMPETITION
Created originally as a fundraiser for the New York Arts Adventure, JMArts produces Sing and Play annually as a joyful public concert and an educational experience for musicians from first through 12th grade, who experience the audition process in a supportive environment and enjoy an opportunity to perform for wider audiences.
public CONCERTS & events
In addition to assisting student concerts and art exhibitions, JMArts sponsors other free public events. Some recent examples: a Latin jazz concert by Gregg Gelb and La Fiesta Latin Jazz Sextet, the world premiere of a student-produced documentary on the immigrant experience, a lecture and klezmer concert highlighting the culture of “Fiddler on the Roof,” a juried art exhibition of student work inspired by JM’s production of “In the Heights,” and a character breakfast for children and their parents featuring Princess Ariel and her friends from “The Little Mermaid.”
AND MUCH, MUCH MORE
Whether it’s purchasing the school’s grand piano, providing tickets so students can attend professional performances, arranging workshops and talkbacks with professional artists so students can learn from the very best, commissioning a short documentary to help our “In the Heights” cast understand the Washington Heights neighborhood or securing much-needed supplies for art classes, JMArts steps in to give students whatever they need to excel.