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MEMPHIS BLACK ARTS ALLIANCE, INC.
P.O. Box 40854 985 South Bellevue/Elvis Presley Boulevard - Memphis, TN 39174
- 901.948.9522
Bennie Nelson West | artafire@bellsouth.net
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Disciplines
Dance
Music
Theatre
Visual Arts
Literary Arts
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Type of Program
After school
Weekends
All day
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Age Range
Grades K-2
Grades 3-5
Grades 6-8
Grades 9-12
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| Organization |
| Mission: | |
To celebrate and nurture the arts and heritage of African-Americans for the benefit of all--regardless of age, ability, income, religious, ethnic or racial background--helping to promote appreciation and understanding of diversity within and outside the African-American community.
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| Founder: | |
Organized by Bennie Nelson West, a potter/sculptor and arts management consultant in collaboration with several arts Groups and individual artists including: Evening of Soul, Memphis Black Writers Association, Nubian League Dance & Theater Company, Blues City Cultural Center, Photographer's Forum, Harry Bryce Dance Theater, New Visions Theater Ensemble, Beale Street Repertory Theater Company, George Hunt, Maxine Strawder, the late Bette Brown, et al.
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| Founded: | |
1982
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| Vision: | |
A nationally-recognized, regional African-American Arts & Cultural Center serving MS-AR-TN-Mo residents and tourists with easy and affordable access to high quality arts and cultural instruction and programming which: instills pride, discipline and positive action on social issues; improves cognitive and social skills; develops talent and offers arts-related job and entrepreneurial training; encourages and promotes creativity and community values which project our regional image as a world class community which successfully leverages its diversity.
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| Program |
| Programs: | |
Headquartered in a converted 1910 fire house on U.S. 51, Bellevue/Elvis Presley Boulevard--gateway to the “Soul of Memphis”--MBAA’s FireHouse operates as full spectrum arts and cultural center. At the FireHouse and other venues, MBAA offers exhibitions, performances, workshops, festivals, and an outreach program serving children, families, seniors, and underserved communities and children with special needs. Since the fall of 1995, MBAA’s FireHouse Community Arts Academy’s diverse faculty of professionally trained and experienced artists-educators have provided classes, lessons, and camps to more than 600 students of all ages, incomes, and abilities in dance, music, visual, theater, and literary arts.
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| Gender Specific: | |
No
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| Season: | |
Academic year, Summer
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| Schedule: | |
Weekly
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| Method of Evaluation: | |
Exhibition, Performance, Survey, Other
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| Free Program: | |
No
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| Scholarships: | |
Yes
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| Additional Info: | |
MBAA's FireHouse Community Arts Academy is a member of the National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts and a recipient of NEA's Challenge America Creative Communities grant award to provide arts instruction to youth residents of public housing.
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| Administration |
| Primary Instructor: | |
Artist
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| Professional Development for Artists or Teachers: | |
Yes
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| Curriculum Guides or Lesson Plans for Teachers: | |
Yes
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| Funding: | |
Earned revenue, Private support, Government and/or foundation grants, Corporate underwriting, Other
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| Other Funding Methods: | |
Contract services
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| Governing Board: | |
Yes
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| Advisory Board: | |
Yes
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| Community |
| Service Area: | |
Multiple county
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| Serve At-risk Youth: | |
Some
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| Collaborations: | |
Schools, Libraries, Cultural institutions, Museums, Businesses, Social Service
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"I wanted to take ballet as a youngster. But when I was little girl they didn't have it offered for blacks. There wasn't a school like this. My son plans on playing drums for our church. Sometimes they have to be pushed to go to class...it's easy for them to think about the FireHouse as school--until they get there. Then, you can't get them to leave."
-- Barbara Edmond, parent
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Please note: Thirteen/WNET New York compiled these profiles using information supplied to it in June, 2001, by the individual organizations. Thirteen is not responsible for the accuracy of this information, is neither affiliated with nor does it endorse these entities, and is not responsible for any advice or other services provided by them.
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