info@culturalvibrancy.org

News

Oh What a Blessing: Legendary Ingramettes win NEA National Heritage Fellowship

Congratulations to Richmond’s Legendary Ingramettes for receiving the 2022 National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts—the highest honor bestowed upon traditional artists in the United States. CCV Executive Director Jon Lohman has enjoyed a long friendship and partnership with the Ingramettes, including a 2019 cultural exchange trip across Bulgaria and Serbia. In 2020 Lohman produced the critically acclaimed “Take a Look in the Book,” the Ingramettes first studio recording since the passing of the group’s matriarch, Evangelist Maggie Ingram, a true Richmond gospel legend, who passed away in 2015. (Photo above by Joe Del Tufo.)

Upon the news of the Legendary Ingramettes receiving the National Heritage Fellowship, Lohman shared: “To me they perfectly embody the very essence of this honor, combining lifelong artistic mastery with deep and dedicated service to their community. They are nothing short of icons in the city, an inspiring force to anyone who has been fortunate to witness them perform, and a blessing to us all.”

Read more in the Richmond-Times Dispatch Article by Bill Lohmann>>

Update: NEA Tribute Video Released

This tribute to gospel artists The Legendary Ingramettes was released in November 2022 as part of “Roots of American Culture: A Cross Country Visit with Living Treasures of the Folk and Traditional Arts.” For a celebration of all 2022 National Heritage Fellowship recipients, watch the complete “Roots of American Culture” video here.

Post a comment