Pittsburgh Playhouse Receives NEA Grant to Support Jazz Music and Dance

The Pittsburgh Playhouse at Point Park University has been approved for a $25,000 Grants for Arts Projects award from the National Endowment for the Arts. The grant was awarded to support a portion of the Pittsburgh Playhouse’s Jazz Music & Dance: A Black Tradition in Pittsburgh and Beyond.

“Jazz Music & Dance: A Black Tradition in Pittsburgh and Beyond” will be a season-long multi-disciplinary exhibition designed to expose our patrons, students, and community members to the rich local history of jazz music and jazz dance. The work of nationally recognized artists will be presented throughout the season as well as a performance featuring an original jazz composition and original choreography. The photographic record of Charles “Teenie” Harris will feature prominently in the piece. The Pittsburgh Playhouse will also host a symposium of artists and academics to explore the intersections of jazz music and jazz dance that, collectively, embody the legacy of the Black vernacular in Pittsburgh and America.

“Pittsburgh’s rich history of jazz music and dance is something all of us should celebrate, and we are honored the NEA recognized the artistic programming we have planned for the coming season,” said Point Park University’s Interim President Chris Brussalis.

According to Garfield Lemonius, dean of the Conservatory of Performing Arts and artistic director of the Pittsburgh Playhouse, “As a city that gave birth to some of the most significant names in jazz, it’s gratifying for us to receive support from the NEA to help us promote and celebrate this rich cultural heritage.” 

“The National Endowment for the Arts is proud to support arts and cultural organizations throughout the nation with these grants, including the Pittsburgh Playhouse at Point Park University, providing opportunities for all of us to live artful lives,” said NEA Chair Maria Rosario Jackson, PhD.

For more information on the Pittsburgh Playhouse, Conservatory of Performing Arts and Point Park University, visit www.PointPark.edu.

About Point Park University

Point Park University, immersed in the heart of Downtown Pittsburgh, focuses on student success through innovative experiential learning opportunities. Point Park enrolls nearly 4,000 students in over 100 undergraduate, masters and doctoral programs offered through its Conservatory of Performing Arts, Rowland School of Business, and schools of Arts and Sciences, Communication, and Education. The University’s alumni and students represent all 50 states and 34 countries around the world. Visit PointPark.edu to learn more.

For more information on other projects included in the Arts Endowment grant announcement, visit arts.gov/news.