Newport String Project Gets $10K Grant

NEWPORT, RI — A music nonprofit in Newport received a $10,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).

The Newport String Project was awarded the "Challenge Grant" to support performances by the ensemble, the Newport String Quartet, pop-up performances at local community meals and two open microphone events featuring students from the Newport String Project.

"The National Endowment for the Arts is proud to support arts projects in communities nationwide," NEA Chair Maria Rosario Jackson said. "Projects such as this one with the Newport String Project strengthen arts and cultural ecosystems, provide equitable opportunities for arts participation and practice, and contribute to the health of our communities and our
economy."

The Newport String Project was founded in 2012. Its goal is to mentor youth musicians regardless of "generation, heritage, and economic circumstances" through free programs for ages 5 to 17.

"We are honored by this recognition of our community-based approach to cultivating relationships between musicians, youth, and audiences through concerts and teaching activities that spark joy and connection," Ealaín McMullin, the artistic director for the Newport String Project, said. "Exploring what is possible when a professional string quartet is embedded in the community — engaging with Newport’s unique strengths and extraordinary history — is at the heart of NSP’s practice. This Challenge America grant is an exciting milestone in this our 10th anniversary season, and we look forward to welcoming the community to this special series of events."