Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation, FACE and the Cultural Services of the French Embassy have announced a new partnership to administer the French-American Jazz Exchange ("FAJE"). FAJE supports projects designed collaboratively by French and American professional jazz artists that encourage artistic exploration, foster intercultural dialogue, and contribute to the dynamism of the art form.

The French-American Jazz Exchange celebrates the shared passion for jazz in France and the United States. A partnership of the Cultural Services of the French Embassy, FACE and Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation, the program is designed to foster the creative and professional development of jazz artists from France and the United States through their collaborative investigation of artistic practice and exposure to new audiences, music concepts, and professional relationships.

FAJE supports projects jointly conceived by French and American professional jazz artists that encourage artistic exploration, foster intercultural dialogue, and contribute to the dynamism of the art form. FAJE will annually award $100,000 in grants, none to exceed $25,000, through an open, competitive application process to support projects that take place either in France or the United States and their respective territories or both, within a 16-month period. The program will support activities that may result in the creation of new work, establishment of new creative and professional partnerships, and development of new audiences for the participating artists. Projects may include jazz artists in France and the United States working together or investigating forms other than jazz with artists who work in different music genres.

Additional support will be available to artists who received funding through FAJE for touring in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Presenters in Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, U.S. Virgin Islands, and West Virginia will be eligible to receive fee-subsidy for booking selected artists funded through the program beginning in the 2012-2013 season.

Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation
Founded in 1979, Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation (“MAAF”) is one of six regional arts organizations in the United States. MAAF has a strong record of supporting jazz and international cultural exchange through such programs as Jazz.NEXT, Jazz Touring Network, BNY Mellon Jazz Living Legacy Award, USArtists International, and its regional performing arts touring programs American Masterpieces, ArtsCONNECT, Mid Atlantic Tours, PennPAT, and Special Presenters Initiatives.
midatlanticarts.org

Cultural Services of the French Embassy
Headquartered in New York, with additional regional offices in major cities throughout the country, the Cultural Services of the French Embassy (“CSFE”) is dedicated to the promotion of French culture and language throughout the United States. The agency offers a broad spectrum of opportunities for the American public to learn about and experience French culture in the fields of performing and visual arts, television and cinema, literature and humanities, and education.
frenchculture.org

As part of the 2011 NYC Winter Jazz Festival, French jazz guitarist and composer Nguyên Lê (2006 Grantee) performed with New York-based saxophonist and composer Rudresh Mahanthappa at Zinc Bar. The two musicians were interviewed outside the event by the Cultural Services of the French Embassy. Nguyên Lê is a self-taught musician with interests in a wide range of musical genres: from funk to Jazz standards to ethnic music. Lê is set to release his latest album Songs of Freedom in April 2011.