A free arts-integrated STEM program brought together 21 partners to engage 979 young people through 10 hands-on labs
Columbus, OH (PRUnderground) October 27th, 2026
A Tribe for Jazz has won the Greater Columbus Arts Council's 2026 Columbus Makes Art Excellence Award for Jazz Lab Summer Columbus, a free, six-day program that welcomed 979 young people ages 5-17 from youth-serving organizations across Columbus. Through hands-on experiences, participants explored connections between the arts and science, technology, engineering and math.
The award recognizes outstanding achievements in innovation, risk and artistic excellence in a performance, exhibition, program or project. A Tribe for Jazz won in the category for organizations with annual budgets below $1 million. The recognition includes a $10,000 award.
Held June 16-18 and June 23-25, 2026, at the Fort Hayes Construction Arts Building, Jazz Lab Summer Columbus offered 10 immersive labs, including JazzFab Lab, Virtual Reality Music Making and Remix the Code. Students built instruments from everyday materials, composed music in virtual reality and learned Python and JavaScript from music producers using EarSketch.
Working alongside artists, producers, engineers, designers, educators and cultural practitioners, young people experimented, made creative choices and solved problems.
"Jazz Lab starts with a simple invitation: try it," said Stephanie Matthews, executive director of A Tribe for Jazz. "Build an instrument. Make music. Write code. We want young people to discover what interests them by getting their hands into the work. This award recognizes what's possible when 21 partners come together to make that opportunity available."
Jazz Lab Summer Columbus received funding from the City of Columbus and AEP Ohio. Educational partners included COSI, See Brilliance, Makerspace Central, Ohio State Engineering, Cold Narly Productions, Motherboard Labs, PLN A Publishing, The Singing Buckeyes and TECHMobile.
Youth partners included ETSS, YMCA, YWCA, All That, Boys & Girls Club, Eckerd Connects, EPIC Youth, Lead the Way Learning Academy and Rickenbacker Woods Foundation.
A Tribe for Jazz will be honored at GCAC's sold-out Creative Columbus Celebration on Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2026, from 5:30-8 p.m. at Columbus College of Art & Design's Canzani Center. The community celebration will feature live music, dance performances, award presentations, and refreshments.
About A Tribe for Jazz
A Tribe for Jazz is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit whose mission is to preserve the legacy and advance the future of jazz through visual storytelling, live performances, education and community engagement. Learn more at [www.atribeforjazz.org].
For additional information contact Stephanie Matthews, Executive Director, A Tribe for Jazz, smatthews@atribeforjazz.org
