Glow Lyric Theatre One of Only Five SC Organizations to Receive Grant from the National Endowment for the Arts

Glow Lyric Theatre has announced that they have been approved to receive an American Rescue Plan grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to help the arts and cultural sector recover from the pandemic. Glow is recommended to receive $50,000 and may use this funding to save jobs and to fund operations and facilities, health and safety supplies, and marketing and promotional efforts to encourage attendance and participation.

This grant comes after a slew of national recognition for Glow Lyric Theatre, including winning the prestigious 2021 American Prize in both Musical Theatre and Stage Direction. Glow also received a 2021 National Endowment for the Arts grant to produce a world premiere opera as part of their 2022 Summer Festival Season. The title of the opera, along with the rest of their season line up, will be announced on February 2, 2022.

Glow Lyric Theatre was founded by married couple Jenna and Christian Elser in 2009, and their focus is on utilizing opera and musical theatre to promote social change in Upstate South Carolina. Glow hires both local artists and artists from across the country and their audiences hail from around the region. They are known for their innovative, daring and thought provoking seasons, often reconceptualizing classical productions to reflect relevant community issues.

"Glow was started 12 years ago as a dream project with $400 from our checking account," says Artistic Director Jenna Elser. "It is beyond humbling and exciting that our work is being recognized nationally. We are often told that we are a 'hidden gem' in Greenville, but we have always dreamed big, and the impact of our work is now expanding. We are so proud to have a national spotlight shine on us. We believe that the arts are what make Greenville great."

Glow intends to utilize the NEA funds to support the salaries of their full-time staff and underwrite the rental fees for their current venue, The Kroc Center.

"Our nation's arts sector has been among the hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. The National Endowment for the Arts' American Rescue Plan funding will help arts organizations, such as Glow Lyric Theatre, rebuild and reopen," said Dr. Maria Rosario Jackson, chair of the NEA.

In total, the NEA will award grants totaling $57,750,000 to 567 arts organizations in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Washington, DC. Glow Lyric Theatre was one of only five organizations in South Carolina to receive this grant.

For more information on the NEA's American Rescue Plan grants, including the full list of arts organizations funded in this announcement, visit www.arts.gov/COVID-19/the-american-rescue-plan.

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