Newport, R.I., — December 1, 2022 — The Champlin Foundation has awarded $37,000 to Newport Festivals Foundation (NFF). The funds will be used to assist in the renovation of Building 16 (known by festival attendees as the Museum Stage) at Fort Adams State Park.

In 2018, the state provided NFF with a long-term lease on the building under the agreement that it be used as a multi-season performance space and cultural center. The grant provided by Champlin will help NFF continue its current music education programs in the building including afterschool workshops, educational video recordings, and more.

“Seeing as we’re the Newport Folk and Jazz Festivals, we take our responsibility to serve our home base very seriously. With the renovation of Building 16 at the historic Fort Adams, we are creating a musical and cultural hub for performance and music education that will draw people to Rhode Island well beyond our festival weekends. Champlin’s help with securing the building envelope moves us that much closer,” said Jay Sweet, Executive Director. “Whether it’s instrument donations to each of the Newport public schools, artist residencies for student cohorts, workshop programs from our building, or hands-on internships, our goal is to create life-changing moments through music.”

To learn more about Building 16, click here.