Fayetteville State University has received a $600,000 grant from the William R. Kenan Jr. Charitable Trust to support and expand performing and fine arts education, according to a university news release.
The two-year grant for the department of performing and fine arts will enhance the university’s community partnerships in the arts, such as the Music in Schools and Art in Schools programs of Cumberland County Schools. It also will provide scholarship support to FSU students, the release said.
Chancellor Darrell Allison announced the grant Tuesday at Seabrook Auditorium on the FSU campus, the release said. Other speakers included Nancy J. Cable, executive director of the Kenan Charitable Trust; Marcus Cox, dean of FSU’s college of humanities and social sciences; Marvin Connelly, superintendent of Cumberland County Schools; and Anna Meyer, executive director of the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra.
“Through this collaboration, we anticipate significant growth in the number of students enrolled in our performing and fine arts degree programs and look forward to bringing a broad range of renowned performances to our campus and the surrounding area,” Allison said. “The arts are transformative, and we are deeply grateful for Kenan Charitable Trust’s generous investment to promote learning and personal growth in and outside the classroom.”
The grant will support scholarships for students studying music, dance, theater, and visual arts, as well as those studying to teach these subjects in kindergarten through 12th-grade schools, the release said.
Funding will also support adjunct faculty and guest artists/instruction in high-demand fields; help bring performing artists to the area; provide instrument repair, acquisition, and rental for student use; support guest artists’ needs; provide specialized equipment for visual and digital arts programming and instruction; provide theater production support, including technology and equipment; and support arts programs that bring arts education to schools in low-income communities.
