UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Center for the Performing Arts at Penn State has been approved by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) for a Grants for Arts Projects award of $50,000.
This grant will support “What Does PURPLE Sound Like?” by Sydnie L. Mosley Dances.
“What Does PURPLE Sound Like?” is a multi-media art installation that focuses on and makes visible our adult neighbors and communities in central Pennsylvania. The program will highlight community participants in performance alongside Sydnie L. Mosley Dances artists in excerpts from “PURPLE: A Ritual in Nine Spells.”
The audience will be seated on the stage in one of three performance-exhibits at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 4-6 in Eisenhower Auditorium.
In May, the NEA awarded this and 1,134 other Grants for Arts Projects awards, totaling more than $37 million, as part of its second round of fiscal year 2024 grants.
“Projects like ‘What Does PURPLE Sound Like?’ by Sydnie L. Mosley Dances exemplify the creativity and care with which communities are telling their stories, creating connection, and responding to challenges and opportunities in their communities — all through the arts,” said NEA Chair Maria Rosario Jackson. “So many aspects of our communities — such as cultural vitality, health and wellbeing, infrastructure, and the economy — are advanced and improved through investments in art and design. The National Endowment for the Arts is committed to ensuring people across the country benefit.”
Center for the Performing Arts Director Sita Frederick echoed the sentiment.
“We are thrilled with our collaboration with Sydnie L Mosley Dances this year, thanks to support from the NEA multidisciplinary arts-projects grant,” Frederick said. “The program’s focus on Black joy and sharing experiences across generations is well-suited to our communities and values. As we continue the celebration of our building’s 50th anniversary, I'm excited to see our stage transform with an installation and performances by Sydnie L. Mosley Dances and community members. The creativity in our community is boundless and we are here to celebrate it.”
For more information on other projects included in the NEA’s grant announcement, visit arts.gov/news.
For more information about the season, visit the Center for the Performing Arts online, Facebook, Youtube and Instagram.