National Endowment for the Arts has approved more than $82 million to fund local arts projects and partnerships in the NEA’s second major funding announcement for fiscal year 2016. Included in this announcement is an Art Works award of $10,000 to the Bishop Hill Heritage Association for the Bishop Hill Folk Music Festival. The Art Works category supports the creation of work and presentation of both new and existing work, lifelong learning in the arts, and public engagement with the arts through 13 arts disciplines or fields. “The arts are all around us, enhancing our lives in ways both subtle and obvious, expected and unexpected,” said NEA Chairman Jane Chu. “Supporting projects like the one from the Bishop Hill Heritage Association offers more opportunities to engage in the arts every day.”
On July 30 and 31, the BHHA is hosting the Bishop Hill Folk Music Festival. Located in the village park, this 2-day concert will have some of the best known folk/ethnic music performers from around the Midwest, such as Chris Vallillo, Joel Mabus, Bahola, Chicago Spemanslag, Bill Robinson, and more. Several of the performing artists will also conduct workshops. All of these musical activities will be free and open to the public. This event is funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, the Barbro Osher Pro Suecia Foundation, and the Bill and Susan Sherrard Foundation. Our media sponsor is FM95 in Galesburg, IL. For more details, call 309 927-3899 or email bhha@mymctc.net.