BMI Foundation’s 2nd Annual Woody Guthrie Fellowship Program Opens

Ralph N. Jackson, President of the BMI Foundation, Inc., and Nora Guthrie, Executive Director of the Woody Guthrie Archives (WGA) and Foundation, have announced the opening of the 2nd Annual Woody Guthrie Fellowship Program. The program will award a limited number of research fellowships, with a value of up to $2,500 each, to fund travel and living expenses for scholars to use the rich and extensive holdings available at the WGA in New York City. Applications are invited from scholars who are pursuing research topics or themes related to Woody Guthrie that explore his creative work and contribution to American music and culture. The postmark deadline for applications is Nov. 1, 2006 for projects beginning after Jan. 1, 2007.

In announcing the new program, Jackson commented, “Woody Guthrie’s music and lyrics are timeless in their message and appeal, and we are delighted to be working with the WGA to make this important material available to scholars.” Best known for the American folk classic “This Land Is Your Land,” Woodrow Wilson Guthrie was an influential and prolific singer and composer noted for his identification with the common man and for his abhorrence of fascism, politicians, hypocrisy and economic exploitation. He is the father of musician Arlo Guthrie. Established in 1972, the Woody Guthrie Foundation is a non-profit organization that serves as administrator and caretaker of the Woody Guthrie Archives. Dedicated to the preservation and dissemination of information about the legendary BMI songwriter’s vast cultural legacy, the WGA houses the largest collection of Woody Guthrie material in the world. Since its opening in 1996, the Woody Guthrie Archives has been an important resource for the general public, musicians, singers, songwriters, scholars, and public and private cultural institutions wishing to access the research collection.