SOPAC to receive $10,000 grant from NEA

SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — The South Orange Performing Arts Center has been approved for a $10,000 Challenge America award to support SOPAC’s music residency program.

SOPAC’s music residency program is among 168 projects across the country that were selected to receive fiscal year 2022 funding, totaling $1,680,000, in the Challenge America grant category. SOPAC is one of 20 New Jersey institutions to receive funding from the National Endowment for the Arts this cycle.

SOPAC’s music residency launched in 2016 to bring classical music instruction to children in underfunded school districts. Through this program, teaching artists engage with elementary, middle and high school students to provide one-on-one strings instruction, primarily for violin.
As part of the SOPAC music residency, teaching artist-in-residence Aurora Mendez brings her expertise and love of music to Jhi-Eun Gu’s music class in the Orange Township School District.
“Having that second pair of hands in my classroom is invaluable,” said Gu. “This program is such a vital resource for my students. It elevates the level of musical instruction and learning opportunities available to my students.”

With this funding, SOPAC aims to enrich the program by expanding the teaching artist’s schedule and introducing more robust cello instruction to the residency.

“I’m thrilled to have a national organization recognize the work that we’re doing,” said Linda Beard, SOPAC’s director of community engagement. “These two teachers are so dedicated to their students. They are a remarkable team, and I’m so glad that the SOPAC music residency and this grant will continue to provide support to these talented music students.”