Portland Opera To Receive Grant From The National Endowment For The Arts

Portland Opera has announced it has been approved by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to receive a Grants for Arts Projects award of $22,000. This grant will support the company's upcoming production of The Snowy Day, by composer Joel Thompson and librettist Andrea Davis Pinkney, based on the children's book by Ezra Jack Keats. In total, the NEA will award 958 Grants for Arts Projects totaling more than $27.1 million as part of its first round of fiscal year 2024 grants.  

 

“The NEA is delighted to announce this grant to Portland Opera, which is helping contribute to the strength and well-being of the arts sector and local community,” said National Endowment for the Arts Chair Maria Rosario Jackson, PhD. “We are pleased to be able to support this community and help create an environment where all people have the opportunity to live artful lives.” 

 

Reacting to the news, General Director of Portland Opera Sue Dixon said, “We are incredibly thankful to the National Endowment for the Arts for awarding us this grant. With ongoing support from the NEA, we are pursuing original programming that uplifts American works, like The Snowy Day, and introducing the magic of opera to new audiences across our region.” 

 

The Snowy Day follows the adventures of young Peter as he explores his neighborhood on a snowy day, making new friends and encountering unexpected wonders along the way. This new opera was commissioned and premiered by the Houston Grand Opera in December 2021 and premieres on the west coast with Portland Opera. Sung in English, The Snowy Day is a perfect introduction to opera for young people and a joyful reminder for audiences of all ages about imagination, friendship, and impermanence. This production is possible with special thanks to the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation. Portland Opera will present three performances of The Snowy Day at the Newmark Theatre, March 16, 22, and 24, 2024. 

 

For more information on other projects included in the NEA's grant announcement, visit arts.gov/news. 

 

For more information on The Snowy Day, visit portlandopera.org.  

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