Foundation Grants
Community Vital Signs
About Us
When Big Stone Gap, Va., native Tyler Hughes was 13, he attended a music camp his grandparents held.
"That time made a lasting impression," he tells the Bristol Herald-Courier.
"That means having an education and getting a job that will pay the bills and give you a comfortable life."
Hughes attended East Tennessee State University's program in Bluegrass, Old-Time, and Roots music, where he earned his BA in 2015.
Today, he works to increase access and participation in community arts.
"He is driven by the conviction that making creative work, and experiencing art together, contributes to not only our individual wellness, but it also strengthens our communities and creates new opportunities for local economies in Appalachia," writes the Herald-Courier.
Hughes plays the banjo and autoharp, calls square dances, co-directs Mountain Music School at Mountain Empire Community College, and is still the youngest member of the Big Stone Gap town council.
His musical career and service to his community and Southwest Virginia are intertwined, inspired by the vision of a formative mentor, Sue Ella Boatright, and through early experiences playing music with friends that were as many as five decades older than him.
Boatright was the dean of workforce development at Mountain Empire Community College, tasked
Read the Entire Article
Selected Foundation News
A customized collection of news from foundations from around the Web.
The Green Climate Fund is the world's biggest dedicated fund designed to help developing countries mitigate and adapt to climate changeand it's looking for new investments. Henry Gonzalez, the...more
Two of the world's biggest financial institutions have come together to call for an end to plastic pollution. In a joint statement, Triodos Bank and Triodos Investment Management say it's...more
"The future of our nation hinges upon its young,educated, and socially conscious demographic," State Bank of India CEOjay Prakash says in a press release. Prakash is referring to the roughly 1...more
"When I met with Gibson and a fellow trustee, Ronnie Greenwood, we quickly established a working relationship to consider how music students at [the University of the West of Scotland's] Ayr Campus...more
Nancy Brinker is the founder of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure breast cancer charity, but she's also the author of a best-selling memoir about her own battle with the disease. So it was only...more
A team of University of Pittsburgh health sciences students has won a " Healthy Equity Innovation Award" at a national case competition for their plan to deal with a pandemic involving...more
"By investing in our employees' holistic well-being, we are setting a new standard for what it means to be a truly people-first organization in the healthcare industry." So says John Sebastian,...more
WhenBilha Obaigwa arrived in the US from Kenya in 2019, she had already earned a bachelor's degree in law back home in her native Kenya. So she set out to pursue a master's degree in health law...more
"People often ask me why I chose wood. The answer is, that was the material that was available to me," said Thaddeus Mosley at SculptureCenter's annual gala in New York City last night. The...more
"When your peers are staring at you, waiting for instruction, it makes it hard to want to experiment, or create the sense of dynamism or play that brings music to life." So says James Spinazzola,...more
Social Entrepreneurship
Spotlight
Why People Buy from Social Enterprises?
The Guardian has compiled a list of responses to its latest open thread, and has announced the winner of the social enterprise gift hamper packed with presents.