The St. Petersburg Arts Alliance is pleased to announce the recipient of the fourth annual Jim Rolston Memorial Professional Development Grant, Mark Feinman.
Mark Feinman is a drummer, composer, and educator from the Tampa Bay area with over twenty years of extensive performance and composition experience, ranging from film scores, albums, leading masterclasses at universities, and performing at festivals and venues around the US and Europe. Mark is the Adjunct Drum Set Instructor at St. Petersburg College, co-leads the trio La Lucha, and is one half of the songwriting team Moonlit Musica.
Mark states he is “honored and delighted to be given the opportunity to advance my personal creative growth through immersive study, reflection, and intensive research. This grant will allow me to challenge and motivate myself as a composer, further develop my craft, and fully engage into projects. I cannot thank the Rolston family and St. Pete Arts Alliance enough for their generosity in recognizing & allowing the space for artists to grow.”
The grant will enable Mr. Feinman to attend two music composition workshops & residencies, led by a group of exceptional songwriters and industry experts. The first is an “Online Songwriting Retreat,” a 3-day in-depth virtual workshop that includes guest masterclasses, interactive co-writing sessions, live critiques, and industry panels. The second educational residency is the legendary “Writer to Writer” 5-day workshop in the Catskill Mountains featuring renowned multi-platinum songwriter Andrea Stolpe and guests, this unique retreat is in-person for fully vaccinated adults and limited to a small group of composers.
The St. Petersburg Arts Alliance established the Jim Rolston Memorial Professional Development Grant. The $5,000 grant is intended to provide financial assistance to a St. Petersburg artist for training or education in improving or developing new art forms that will facilitate taking his/her work to the next level.
An accomplished artist and sculptor, Jim Rolston was a founding board member of the St. Petersburg Arts Alliance. He found his artistic voice when he was able to devote all of his time to his art after retiring. Continually working to develop his talent, he was committed to arts education and training. Jim’s family and friends established this fund in his memory, feeling that it is a fitting tribute to his belief that an artist’s journey is never over – there is always more to experience and learn.
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The St. Petersburg Arts Alliance strives to be the umbrella organization for the arts — advocating for the arts, facilitating the growth of the creative arts community, and driving arts-related economic development in St. Petersburg. www.stpeteartsalliance.org