Outreach
Callanwolde works to ensure that arts education and arts experiences are readily available to the widest cross-section of Metro Atlanta residents as possible. Our Outreach Program serves those who otherwise would not have access to quality arts programming through scholarships, school field trips, and special classes and events.
The Frank Barham Scholarship Fund
The Callanwolde Fine Arts Center is proud to launch the Frank Barham Scholarship Fund, named for the late Atlanta musician and disabilities activist, Frank Barham.
The scholarships are for people with any type of disability and are not based on financial need. Awards cover 100% of tuition and can be used for all classes and private music lessons at Callanwolde.
To apply, please visit the Scholarships page of our website.
About Frank Barham:
Frank Barham was an Atlanta musician who performed at numerous clubs and festivals with his band Brazilian Fusion. With roots in Memphis and Durham, he was inspired by blues, jazz, and R&B music, and he had played trumpet since high school. Frank was left a paraplegic after a car accident in 1980, when he was 24. After the accident, he learned to play percussion and the chromatic harmonica. Frank’s love of West African folk music and Afro-Brazilian rhythms solidified his sound and eventually inspired the creation of his band.
In recent years, Frank became an activist for people with disabilities. He raised money to provide wheelchairs for those who couldn’t afford them, and he especially wanted musicians with disabilities to have the same opportunities as other musicians. He was on a 300-mile trek by wheelchair from Atlanta to Savannah to raise awareness when he was killed in a tractor-trailer accident in Screven County on May 20, 2015. Along the route, Frank had performed and distributed education materials about his charity, Wheel 2 Live. The crash also killed Frank’s support team member and well-known Atlanta arts advocate and PR/marketing specialist Margaret Kargbo.
Since Frank’s death, his wife Adriana Barham continues to pursue his mission, which led to the creation of the Frank Barham Scholarship Fund at Callanwolde.
About the impact of music on his life, Frank said, “Music is a powerful tool for self-healing, dealing with emotions and being able to translate feelings when words are inadequate. I’ve found that music can change my moods, helps me escape from depression and brings joy into my life.”
