Compiled by The Bedford Citizen
State Sen. Mike Barrett today announced that the Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC) has awarded grants totaling $234,970 to cultural councils, schools and organizations in his district.
Bedford’s Cultural Council this year will receive $4,250. To visit the Bedford Cultural Council’s web page, click https://www.mass-culture.org/Bedford.
Last year the Bedford Cultural Council funded the following projects:
- Rob Ackerman, Lane School Maker Day
- Acton Community Chorus, Concert and Rehearsal Series
- Bedford Arts and Crafts Society, Painting Demonstration
- Bedford Citizen, Bedford Citizen Website Upgrade
- Bedford Council on Aging, Historical Musical Performance
- Contemporary Arts International, Inc. (CAI), Stone Carving Sculpture Symposium
- John Root, Senior Citizen Musical Program
- Annmarie Silver, Arts and Crafts for Transitional Housing Families
The Bedford Cultural Council has set an October 15 postmark deadline for organizations, schools and individuals to apply for grants that support community-oriented arts, humanities, science and other cultural activities in town. Read more: https://www.bedfordma.gov/cultural-council/news/bedford-cultural-council-seeks-funding-proposal
In August Barrett spoke at an MCC Board meeting at the historic Concord Museum, where he praised the organization for its support of local arts and cultural communities. Barrett said these grants help fund a range of organizations that benefit local residents, while supporting jobs in the non-profit sector. The announcement was made as part of MCC’s statewide funding program which benefits in FY14 from a $1.6 million increase to its state appropriation approved by the Legislature and signed by the Governor in July.
“The grants ensure that the cultural resources unique to my district and other cultural work across the state continue to thrive and enrich people’s lives,” Barrett said. “The new state funding for the arts, humanities and sciences will have a meaningful impact.”
Additional Massachusetts Cultural Council Programs
In addition to grants given to local cultural councils and organizations, MCC announced grants to the following statewide programs:
Cultural Investment Portfolio: $4.1 million: The Cultural Investment Portfolio comprises 388 nonprofit arts, humanities and science organizations across Massachusetts. These organizations connect children and adults to theatre, music, visual arts and film; teach them about history, literature, and the natural environment; and introduce them to new languages and cultures. Cultural Investment Portfolio grants must be matched one to one, and range from $2,500 to $55,000.
Creative Minds: Education in School and Out of School: $1.4 million: MCC works to ensure that all children have access to high-quality, creative learning experiences through grants, services and advocacy for schools, communities and nonprofit cultural organizations. STARS Residencies place artists, scientists and other creative teachers in schools. The YouthReach Initiative makes grants to cultural and community-based organizations to support in-depth arts, humanities and science programs for young people at risk. Big Yellow School Bus provides grants to help schools meet the transportation costs of educational field trips to cultural institutions in Massachusetts. Poetry Out Loud is a national competition in which high school students memorize and perform poems and explore the dynamic aspects of slam poetry, spoken work and theatre in their English and Drama classes.
Creative Economy Initiatives: $820,000: MCC has been supporting creative economy initiatives throughout Massachusetts for more than a decade. In 2004, the Legislature created the Adams Arts Program, which funds projects that create jobs and income, revitalize downtowns and increase cultural tourism. Adams funded projects leverage the assets of the creative sector — artists, cultural organizations, and arts-related businesses — inherent in Massachusetts’ communities, to generate real income. ArtistLink is a collaborative effort to create a stable environment for Massachusetts artists as they seek workspace and housing. ArtistLink achieves this mission by providing individual artists, developers, and municipalities with targeted information and technical assistance and by advocating for relevant policy changes at the state level. The Cultural Data Project measures the economic impact of the nonprofit cultural sector.
Mass Humanities: $418,298: The MCC provides an annual partnership grant to Mass Humanities, which supports public programs in history, literature and other humanities disciplines to enhance and improve civic life in the Commonwealth.
About the Massachusetts Cultural Council
The MCC is a state agency supporting the arts, sciences and humanities, to improve the quality of life in Massachusetts and its communities. For more information, please visit www.massculturalcouncil.org.
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