Albany State receives NEA grant for woodwind event

ALBANY — Albany State University’s Lyceum Committee has been selected by the National Endowment for the Arts to receive a $10,000 Challenge America Fast-Track (CAFT) grant, according to Leroy Byum, Jr., dean for the College of Arts and Humanities at ASU and chair of the Lyceum Committee.

The grant will allow the committee to bring the internationally renowned Imani Woodwind Quintet to Albany on Jan. 17 for a day-long “cultural residency.”

While in Albany the musical group will conduct a master class for students from ASU, as well as area junior and senior high school students from Dougherty and Lee counties. In addition, there will be a concert for the general public on the evening of the same day. Both events will be held in the Municipal Auditorium in Albany. The master-class is scheduled from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. The performance will begin at 7:30 p.m.

“This is a tremendous opportunity for the citizens of Albany, young and old, to have an ensemble of this caliber in our city,” Bynum said. “This grant is a validation of our efforts toward arts exposure to all citizens of the community and of the consistently high quality of arts presentations this institution maintains.”

Bynum said that competition was high, with only 162 of the grants awarded out of 375 eligible applications submitted from throughout the country.

According to Bynum, The National Endowment for the Arts was established by Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. To date, the NEA has awarded more than $4 billion to support artistic excellence, creativity and innovation for the benefit of individuals and communities.