The founders of The Jamwich Ltd., a registered benefit corporation, has created The JAMMA Foundation, which stands for Jamming for Appalachian Multi Media Artists. The fund aligns with our mission and dedication to fostering the musical community and will directly positively affect the future of the music industry.
Currently The JAMMA Foundation is business licensed in West Virginia with a board of members representing the fine arts industry, the music industry, and the education system. We are currently in the process of working with an attorney to file the paperwork with the IRS for 501C3 status.
We want to encourage talented young people to pursue a career in music and arts. With so many music and art programs being cut in schools, and the pressure on students to “get a job,” those who excel in the arts need our belief and support more than ever. We want kids to know that they can have a successful career in the arts and their passion and talents are important to today’s society. Offering a scholarship to specifically music or art students encourages them to pursue their passions and advance their community through culture.
We will choose two students each year to receive the JAMMA scholarship: one pursuing a career in visual arts, and one pursuing a career in music. Each would receive $1000 to go towards their tuition costs. Students are chosen based on their skill and enthusiasm for their current medium as well as their overall academics. In addition to the scholarship, we will work to place them with a mentor to help guide them toward a career in music or visual arts. We want to give these students every leg up possible.
At first the scholarship will only be available to West Virginia applicants, but we hope to expand to more Appalachian states, awarding multiple students a year. As residents of West Virginia and one graduate of a West Virginia high school (Elise Olmstead), we believe that home is the best place to start. As the fund grows, so will our scholarship, appropriately growing to award more money to more students as funds allow. We also have goals to award adult musicians and artists with grants in a similar structure (2 annual winners of $1000 each).
With your help, we can continue building a beautiful community of art and music.
