A $350,000 grant from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation will help Jazz St. Louis spread the word about concerts at Ferring Jazz Bistro, its signature performance space in Grand Center.
Known for its good acoustics and sightlines following a renovation that began in 2014, the 250-seat venue attracts international artists and offers local musicians a prestigious performing space.
But it doesn’t yet have the international profile it deserves, said Gene Dobbs Bradford, president and CEO of Jazz St. Louis. Aiming to remedy that, the organization will use some of the grant money to purchase new equipment that will allow the club to stream concerts online.
“Other places [around the world] may not think that one of the best rooms in the world is going to be located in St. Louis, Missouri,” Bradford said. “So this’ll give us a chance to show people just how good we have it and how seriously the St. Louis community takes this artform.”
The grant also will fund enhanced online-marketing efforts and a new ticketing system.
Jazz St. Louis is one of just 16 organizations included in this round of funding by the Doris Duke foundation, and the only one in the Midwest.
Other recipients include arts organizations with long-established national profiles, including Brooklyn Academy of Music, Dance Theatre of Harlem and the Public Theater.
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