JALOPY THEATRE AND SCHOOL OF MUSIC GO NON-PROFIT

Statement from Jalopy Theatre's Geoffrey & Lynnette Wiley:

Since we founded Jalopy in 2006, technically, we have been a for-profit business, but that model has never truly reflected our priorities (in fact, many people assume we already are a nonprofit organization because of our commitment to our community of artists and students). Our main concern has always been supporting artists and making folk music accessible to a wide audience, not focusing on the bottom line.

So we are thrilled to share the news that we are joining forces with Living Traditions, a nonprofit organization founded in 1994 with the mission of preserving, promoting and perpetuating traditional folk music. For thirty years, Living Traditions produced the wildly successful KlezKamp, a beloved annual Yiddish folk arts gathering in the Catskills. Living Traditions’ own programming ended in 2014, and we are proud to be taking up their mission as our own while holding on to our own location, staff, programs, and name.

Over Jalopy’s first decade, our music and educational programming has become increasingly rich, and the relationships we have developed with artists, audiences, and students have deepened. And we have seen an opportunity to build a broader community of support for our work, realizing our communal values even more fully.

We’ve always considered Jalopy a place that belongs to the people. Officially offering our activities and programs through a nonprofit (in more than just spirit!) will provide new ways to connect with our community, strengthen our organization, and continue to evolve as we begin our second decade.