“Drop-in with Drink Small” to celebrate Blues Doctor’s National Heritage Fellowship

“Drop-in with Drink Small” to celebrate Blues Doctor’s National Heritage Fellowship

Columbia blues musician Drink Small, recently named a National Heritage Fellow by the National Endowment for the Arts, will be honored with a drop-in July 30 from 5:30 – 7 p.m. at Tapp’s Art Center, 1644 Main St., Columbia. The event is free and open to the public.

The National Heritage Fellowship is the nation’s highest honor in the folk and traditional arts and includes an award of $25,000. The National Heritage Fellows will be honored in Washington, D.C., at an awards ceremony Oct. 1, 2015, and a free concert on Friday, Oct, 2, 2015.

“We wanted to have a local event to allow friends and fans to congratulate Drink on this prestigious accomplishment,” said Ken May, South Carolina Arts Commission executive director. “A National Heritage Fellowship is a big deal, and the entire state should be proud of Drink’s work and his dedication to keeping music traditions alive.”

At the event, Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin will present Small with a proclamation declaring July 30 as “Drink Small Day,” and DJ Preach Jacobs will set the tone with the blues and related music. A cash bar will be available. The drop-in is sponsored by the South Carolina Arts Commission, the City of Columbia, Tapp’s Arts Center and McKissick Museum at the University of South Carolina.

For more information about the NEA’s National Heritage Fellowships, including bios, interviews, and audio selections for the Heritage Fellows, visit arts.gov.