Stockton Rush Bartol Foundation Announces 2016 George Bartol Arts Education Award

The Stockton Rush Bartol Foundation has selected Artistas y Músicos Latino Americanos (AMLA) as the winner of the 2016 George Bartol Arts Education Award. The Award is given to an organization that provides sustained, meaningful exposure and participation in the arts; that demonstrates an active engagement in the lives of its students and community; and that maintains high artistic standards for its faculty and students.

AMLA promotes the development, dissemination and understanding of Latin American music and culture in the Philadelphia/Delaware Valley Region with a strong emphasis on youth. Through its Latin School of the Performing Arts (LSPA), AMLA provides young people and adults with music lessons, music theory instruction, and performance opportunities taught by musicians from the community who are accomplished artists and teachers. Serving an average of 125 students a year through individual and group lessons, LSPA sparks students' interest in their own cultural history, prepares them to continue musical training at the university or conservatory level, and builds transferrable skills such as, commitment, creativity and responsibility that support their growth and success in the classroom and beyond. AMLA also provides music education to larger audiences in school settings through its Artists in Education program which takes Latino-themed interactive music presentations and workshops to area schools in the community, last year presenting at eight schools to over 1,700 students.

"AMLA is music education that is culturally-relevant, rigorous, and full of joy," says Beth Feldman Brandt, Executive Director of the Stockton Rush Bartol Foundation. "AMLA is music by and for the Latino community that instills not only a love of music but the discipline and teamwork that comes from mastering an instrument and performing with others. The Bartol Foundation has supported AMLA through its long history and we are pleased to recognize their contribution to arts education and the community with this award."

"This recognition for both excellence in music education and community connection highlights AMLA's dual mission," says Suzzette Ortiz, Artistic Director of AMLA. "We are grateful to the Bartol Foundation for its investment in our community and honored to be among such distinguished company of past awardees."

The George Bartol Arts Education Award was established in 2001 to recognize outstanding arts education programs by a non-profit cultural organization. Each year, a grant of $5,000 is made in memory of George Bartol, founder of the Stockton Rush Bartol Foundation, who believed that the key to a thriving arts community was an investment in arts education for its children. As part of its annual grant review process, the Foundation designates one grantee to receive this additional award of $5,000 to further support its arts education programs. This year's award is made possible through gifts from Mr. Bartol's children and other anonymous donors.

Watch a video showcasing AMLA's work to learn more about The George Bartol Award below!

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For more information on AMLA and its programs, visit www.amla.org.

The Stockton Rush Bartol Foundation, as the only local Foundation devoted solely to supporting local arts organizations, seeks to foster an environment where arts and culture can flourish. Created in 1984, the Foundation provides financial and technical support to non-profit arts and cultural organizations in Philadelphia. Through its grantmaking, the Foundation works to ensure a vibrant cultural life for all of its citizens through programs that use art as a catalyst for meaningful communication and connections, strengthening the social fabric of Philadelphia's neighborhoods.