Chesapeake Music receives another NEA Challenge America grant

Chesapeake Music is pleased to announce it has been approved by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) for a Challenge America award of $10,000 in support of its youth outreach programming in 2025.

“We are thrilled and grateful to receive another round of funding from NEA to continue this important work we began this past year,” said Mariana Lesher, Chesapeake Music’s board president.

In 2024, Chesapeake Music used its first NEA award to bring a group of specialist artist-teachers to Talbot County, carrying out two residencies that touched all five public elementary schools as well as an after-school program at Building African American Minds. These visits were interactive and collaborative in nature, sparking curiosity and engagement in music and the arts with young learners. The work slated to be carried out in 2025 will be a continuation of these efforts, focusing on Talbot County Public Schools and local community organizations.

David Faleris, Chesapeake Music’s Executive Director notes, “Receiving this support from the NEA two years in a row is a validation of the careful consideration and hard work that goes into our educational programming efforts. Engaging young learners is essential for developing future generations of not just artists and art lovers, but also creative thinkers and compassionate human beings.”

The NEA will award 272 Challenge America awards nationwide, totaling $2,720,000 as part of the recent announcement of fiscal year 2025 grants. “The NEA is proud to continue our nearly 60 years of supporting the efforts of organizations and artists that help to shape our country’s vibrant arts sector and communities of all types across our nation,” said NEA Chair Maria Rosario Jackson, PhD. “It is inspiring to see the wide range of creative projects taking place.”

To learn more about other projects included in the NEA’s grant announcement, visit arts.gov/news.

Based in Easton, Maryland, and celebrating its 40th Anniversary Year, Chesapeake Music is a nonprofit organization that brings renowned musicians to delight, engage, and surprise today’s audiences, and educate, inspire, and develop tomorrow’s. To learn more about Chesapeake Music, visit their website at 

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