Lawrence Cultural Council
The Lawrence Cultural Council is a volunteer group of Lawrencians appointed by the Mayor to disperse funds awarded to the city from Mass Cultural Council. Funds are awarded through a grant process. Grants may be submitted from individuals, schools, artists, and cultural groups. Activities receiving support from the council must take place in the city and serve all facets of the population, from children to the elderly.
Lawrence Cultural Council Mission Statement:
Our mission is to support programs in the arts, humanities, and interpretive sciences that contribute to the enhancement of the quality of life in Lawrence.
Contact
Patricia Mariano, Chair
[email protected]
978-620-3950
Address
PO Box 326
Lawrence, MA 01840-0023
Application Information
FY26 Allocation
$140,900
FY26 Local Priorities
Lawrence Cultural Council (LCC) grants are open to individual artists, art organizations, community organizations, schools, and municipal agencies. All projects funded by the Lawrence Cultural Council must primarily serve and benefit the Lawrence community through exhibits, performances, readings, cultural events and/or field trips. Celebrating the diversity of our “Immigrant City”, we encourage projects which highlight our rich culture, equity, diversity and inclusion. The Lawrence Cultural Council prefers to fund local artists who live in the city.
FY26 Local Guidelines
The Lawrence Cultural Council grant process is governed by requirements and regulations established by Mass Cultural Council; failure to comply with the Lawrence Cultural Council guidelines may jeopardize a grant application. Additional information about grant programs may be found at www.massculturalcouncil.org. New this year is assistance in translation services. We urge applicants in need of such help to access MCC at this address https://massculturalcouncil.org/access-policy/
On September 9, @ 6:00PM, Mass Cultural Council will hold an Informational Session concerning the grant process on Zoom. Register here: https://massculturalcouncil.org/event/local-cultural-council-grants-info-session-2/
All grants for FY 2026 must be submitted online. The application deadline for this funding cycle is October 16, 2025. Please add a letter of support verifying that a venue is secured to the supplemental materials. Field Trip requests are submitted on the same online application. The Lawrence Cultural Council does not fund transportation and/or food or beverage expenses. Grants are awarded for projects taking place for the period January 1, 2026, through December 31, 2026.
Grants are evaluated based on the following criteria: quality of project, community benefit, budget, and funding.
Quality of the project
Is the project well thought out with evidence of planning? Are the specific dates and venues identified? Do the qualifications of the artist, humanist or interpretive scientist leading the activity suggest that the project will be of high quality? Does the proposal adhere to local priorities?
Community Benefit
Is there evidence that the proposal will benefit the citizens of Lawrence? What is the impact this proposal will have on the city of Lawrence and its citizens? Does the project contribute to the cultural vitality and well-being of the city as a whole? Is there community support for the project?
Budget and Funding Support
A budget limit has been set for $5000. Please adhere to the following guidelines when establishing your budget documentation.
Does the budget balance? Does the budget follow LCC guidelines? Is the budget realistic and clear? Are there other sources of funding or is Lawrence Cultural Council the sole source of funding? Is the project budget specific?
Grant Payment Method: As part of our new Direct Grant Payment Option, you will receive your funding as a direct grant that will not require you to expend your own funds and request reimbursement. To accept your grant and receive payment, you must complete and return a Grant Agreement and W-9, which will be enclosed in the award letter within two weeks. In addition, you will be required to fill out a final report on your project once your program is complete.
Recognition requirements: Acknowledgement is required in all published materials and announcements regarding activities supported by the Lawrence Cultural Council through funds. The sponsored individual or group must acknowledge this support with a written and/or verbal credit statement and by using the MCC logo. This credit is required by the MCC and failure to do so may jeopardize funding.
How Grant Recipients Are Paid
Direct Grants
FY26 Funding List
| Name | Project Title | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Alexander B. Bruce School | Creativity: A Turning Point | $1,500 | Ancient Order of Hibernians Division 8 | Irish Heritage Month 2026 | $4,500 | Ancient Order of Hibernians Ladies Division 8 | Irish Christmas Festival | $1,750 | Arlington Middle School | Mean Girls Jr. | $4,000 | Asociación de Peruanos Unidos, Inc. | Noche Peruana 2026: "Perú, país de todas las sangres" | $2,500 | Ateneo Dominicano de Nueva Inglaterra Corporation | Bohemian Sunset 2026 " Voces Unidas por el Arte y Cultura" | $3,500 | Bellesini Academy | School educational and cultural field trips | $2,200 | Bettagere Nagendra Prasad, Pranav Swaroop | SARANG - Colors of South Asian Music | $1,000 | Bread & Roses Heritage Committee, Inc. | Art of Resistance: A Labor History Exhibit | $4,500 | Brothers In Arms Men's Support Circle | Juneteenth "Arts & Awareness" Festival | $605 | Cambiando El Mundo de Necesidades Especiales | Art and Inclusion | $2,500 | Colombian Cultural Committee of the Merrimack Valley | Celebrating Afro-Colombian Legacy | $2,000 | Cyber Ninja Foundation Inc | Empowering Communities Through Cybersecurity Education | $2,000 | Discovery Museum, Inc. | Open Door Connections | $400 | Edward F. Parthum Middle School | Alice In Wonderland Jr. | $4,000 | El Instituto Cultural de Puerto Rico, Inc. | 4th Bomba & Plena Festival 2026 | $4,500 | Elevated Thought Inc. | 2026 End of Year Showcase | $3,000 | Elkus, Eli | Musical Storytelling & Folk Songs by Eli Elkus at Lawrence Public Library | $300 | Elliott, Julia | The Resident Therapeutic Musician Project: Musical Comfort in a Medical Setting | $3,500 | Emily G. Wetherbee School | Annie JR the Musical | $4,000 | Essex Art Center, Inc. | Fiesta en la calle 2026 | $4,500 | Ethnic Arts Center of Somerville, Inc. | WONDERFUL ME Self and Ethnic Esteem Giant Puppet t Project | $2,000 | Ethnic Arts Center of Somerville, Inc. | IMMIGRANT CITY FOLKTALE SHOWCASE | $2,000 | Exposed Brick Literary Magazine, Inc. | Issue Seven: Creation Launch Cycle | $4,000 | Flanagan-chak, Rith | Lawrence Open Breaking Practice | $2,000 | Friends of Lawrence Heritage State Park, Inc. | Historical Trolley Tours of Lawrence | $2,500 | Grainy Daze Studios | Encounter the Reel | $2,000 | Greater Lawrence Fellowship of the Arts, Inc. | Juneteenth Community Arts & Empowerment by the Greater Lawrence Fellowship of the Arts | $2,500 | Greater Lawrence Fellowship of the Arts, Inc. | Mindful Arts | $1,500 | Immigrant City Archives, Inc. | Preserving Lawrence Memories: A VHS-to-Digital Film Festival Experience | $4,500 | International Book Fair, Inc. | XX International Book Fair 2026 | $3,000 | Irise Dance Project, Inc. | “Echoes” Workshop and Development | $2,500 | Jackson, Peter | Community Magic Show | $300 | Kevin C. Kynock Foundation for the Arts | Trip to take Esperanza Academy to see Suffs The Musical in Boston | $1,000 | Lawrence Boys and Girls Club, Inc. | Dance Academy | $2,500 | Lawrence Boys and Girls Club, Inc. | Digital Arts | $2,500 | Lawrence CommunityWorks, Inc. | Movement City Showcase 2026 | $3,000 | Lawrence High School | Stage Design: Bringing Fictional Worlds to Life | $2,500 | Lawrence High School | Student Theatremaking Club: Showcase | $2,600 | Lawrence High School | Memory Project/Portraits | $2,500 | Lawrence High School | District Concert: Modern Band Performances | $2,000 | Lawrence Ladies Lodge 2026 | Italians of the North End | $400 | Lawrence Public Schools | Our Story in Focus: A Family Portrait Series | $2,000 | Loiselle, Jennifer | Adornments of Liberation: The Art of Live Juneteenth Jewelry Making | $800 | MUSE, Inc. | MUSE, INC - Musical Visits for Seniors | $1,125 | MUSIC Dance.edu | Hip Hop Square and chair Dance for Seniors! a dance series | $900 | MUSIC Dance.edu | I am Autistic I am Fantastic - The Musical | $680 | Merrimack Valley Immigrants and Education Center, Inc. | Chinese/Vietnamese New Year & Asian Heritage Celebration Cultural Dances | $2,800 | Merrimack Valley Community Music School, Inc. | Private-Small Group Lessons for Lawrence High School Students | $2,800 | Merrimack Valley Community Music School, Inc. | Lesson Scholarships for Lawrence Youth | $1,600 | Merrimack Valley Community Music School, Inc. | Music For Lawrence Farmers Markets | $3,000 | Merrimack Valley Community Music School, Inc. | Music Therapy for Elderly | $2,000 | Mitchell-Davis, Heather | Bringing Story Telling to LFPA | $900 | Morales, Yanet | Tap Into Your Greatness: Dance & Leadership Workshops for Youth | $2,500 | New England Art & Culture Hub | Music Classes | $2,500 | O'Shea/Chaplin School of Irish Step Dancing | An Afternoon of Irish Dance,Music and Song | $600 | Olde Essex Stage Company | 6th Annual Shakespeare in the Park | $1,000 | Oliver Middle School | Beetlejuice | $3,000 | Phoenix Academy Public Charter High School Lawrence | RE:MAKE - Youth Fashion Upcycling Residency | $2,000 | Psychological Center, Inc. The | ReFrame: Stories of Recovery | $1,500 | Rockport Music, Inc. | NEC Touring Children's Opera at the Shalin Liu Performance Center | $500 | Si, Se Puede, Inc. | Lawrence: A Living Story! | $2,800 | Suenos Basketball Inc | Made in Lawrence | $2,000 | The Merrimack Valley Young Men's Christian Association, Inc. | Creative Art Space | $2,000 | The Musary, JRP Inc. | Musary Musical Instrument Lending Acquisitions | $750 | Three Saints, Inc. | 103rd Annual Feast of the Three Saints | $3,000 | Top Notch Scholars Inc | Leadership and Learning Academy | $2,000 | Wise, Dennis | The Theft of Dignity: School Anti-bullying Presentation | $950 |