NEW YORK, May 25, 2011
/PRNewswire/ — The Herb Alpert  Foundation announced today that they
have renewed their commitment to help the prestigious Harlem School of
the Arts by offering a $350,000 ‘2 to 1’ matching grant program. To match this offering, HSA will be seeking $700,000
in new funding commitments in the next four months from corporations,
individuals as well as other foundations to meet the challenge.

Musician
Herb Alpert, whose foundation has donated millions of dollars over the
years to fund arts programs in schools all over the country, previously
came to the rescue of HSA last year when they were about to close their
doors. The first grant of $500,000 was also a matching gift that brought another $500,000
from other donors. So impressed was Alpert when he visited the school
to see the remarkable progress they were making toward sustaining their
music, dance and arts programs for the children in the community that he
made an additional commitment to the school this year.

“During
my recent visit to HSA, I got to observe classes in music, arts and
dance. The kids along with the teachers showed a tremendous commitment
to these programs. It’s imperative that their good work continues in the
years ahead,” commented Alpert.

Yvette Campbell,
the new President & CEO of The Harlem School of the Arts and a
former professional dancer concurred:  “I am inspired and dedicated to
see HSA on a path to become the premiere institution for arts education
within NYC’s cultural landscape as well as continuing to provide young
people with the opportunity to take advantage of its quality arts
programming with life skills that assure success: discipline, high
standards, clear performance goals and high expectations.”

“The
Alperts strongly believe that the arts play a fundamental role in all
of our lives, and one of the core areas of their philanthropy is to
support arts education for our youth, and particularly for youth in
underserved areas and communities. For many decades, The Harlem School
of the Arts has played a significant role in providing young people with
the opportunities to find their creative voice and spirit, and the
Alperts are hopeful that once again, through a new matching grant
challenge, others will step up to help strengthen and sustain this
important resource for the Harlem community,” added Rona Sebastian, President of the Herb Alpert Foundation.

About HSA:

Founded
over 47 years ago, the Harlem School of the Arts (HSA) is a nationally
recognized, multi-disciplinary arts training ground and cultural
incubator that has transformed the lives of thousands of young people.
Countless HSA alumni have gone on to become celebrated artists and
establish reputable arts companies in New York
and abroad. The School’s reputation for artistic rigor and excellence
resonates powerfully within the Harlem community, and attracts
constituents from all five New York City boroughs, Westchester County and New Jersey.
For tens of thousands of young people, during their critical
developmental years, learning an artistic discipline, at the highest
professional standards, has also given them a focus and sense of purpose
that has carried them through to post-secondary success. As a result,
HSA boasts an impressive alumni base of Tony-award winning actors,
celebrated operatic voices and jazz musicians, visual artists and
dancers, and individuals who cite their experiences at the School as the
platform from which they launched careers in law, business and other
professional fields. Historically, HSA has been associated with cultural
icons such as Leontyne Price, Romare Bearden and Jacob Lawrence. That tradition continues to this day with vibrant contemporary artists like dancer/choreographer Bill T. Jones, mezzo-soprano Tracie Luck, eight-time Grammy award-winning pop artist Alicia Keys, legendary jazz bassist Reginald Workman and avant-garde surrealistic playwright Aishah Rahman.
Their involvement has included master workshops, participation in the
School’s live Radiothon broadcast and live-stage performances with HSA
students, and is a testament to how meaningful the School is to today’s
world-class artists.

About The Herb Alpert Foundation: 

The
Herb Alpert Foundation, a non-profit, private foundation established in
the 1980’s, makes significant annual contributions to a range of
programs in the Arts and in Compassion and Well-Being.  Its funding is
directed toward projects in which Herb and Lani Alpert and Foundation President Rona Sebastian play an active role.  (Please note: the Foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals.)

Herb Alpert Foundation