HEAL Center artists. Courtesy of Harvey Lockhart.
A St. Louis arts education program is getting a big boost to its bottom line and plans to use the cash to bring its message of positivity through music and the arts to more young people.
“It’s a very big deal for us,” says Harvey Lockhart, founder and executive and artistic director of HEAL Center for the Arts. HEAL is a 2023 recipient of a $75,000 Infusion Award from The Lewis Prize for Music.
Lockhart says his family didn’t have much money to support his burgeoning musical talent when he was a kid. The support of engaged teachers along the way allowed him to grow into the Grammy-nominated saxophonist and composer he is today, and he’s passionate about paying opportunities forward.
“You can’t give everything away, but that’s just how I feel about it, I want to be able to give it away,” he says. “It’s a blessing that we’re able to give.”
HEAL, founded in 2015, currently offers its students six programs: The Point of View Jazz Ensemble, small combos that play more than 50 events a year; The Bird Seeds, a feeder jazz combo for younger kids; The Intellectual Artist Series podcast; The North County Big Band; Summer Point of View Jazz Camp; and the Through Our Eyes Concert Series, a pop-up concert series that challenges oppressive systems through love and hope.
Lockhart says the grant will go toward stabilizing the programs, forming partnerships with schools and the community, expanding into art forms beyond music, and bringing on more instructors.
“It’s been primarily myself doing all of the teaching during the year—it’s just been a lot,” he says. “Now I’m able to bring on some more teachers and even hire some of our former students.”
Ultimately, Lockhart says, it’s all about reaching more kids, giving more St. Louis young people the chance to learn their art forms, the history and context behind them, and how to attend to the business of being an artist.
“All of our programs really tie in to helping them become a complete, sustainable artist,” Lockhart says.
If this is the first you’ve heard of HEAL, that’s by design, to an extent.
“So many students have wanted to join—we just haven’t had the capacity to do that, to reach more students like we want to,” Lockhart says. “Maintaining everything has been a bit of a challenge because of financial resources for the program. We’ve been very intentional about not advertising our programs because of that. Our students advertise for us by word of mouth,” says Lockhart. “I can’t say no—pray for me!”
The Lewis Prize for Music recognizes music organizations across the United States in partnership with Creative Youth Development. This year, the organization awarded more than $2 million in the form of $500,000 Accelerator Awards and $75,000 Infusion awards, as well as $15,000 awards to semifinalists.
The application process was rigorous, Lockhart says, which he appreciated. He was encouraged to apply by Susan Colangelo, president and executive director of Saint Louis Story Stitchers, itself a 2021 recipient of an Accelerator Award.
“We’re going to scale, we’ll be able to reach more students than we have now,” Lockhart says. “We’re so grateful—I can’t say it enough.”
