Merrimac Cultural Council
The Merrimac Cultural Council favors local applicants with established venues or sponsors. We fund arts-related projects when feasible, and encourage new applicants or projects of particular interest to our local community. When reviewing applicants we also consider local needs, a balanced age range and scope of audiences, community involvement and diversity. We prefer to directly fund projects directly rather than supporting fund-raising activities.
All applications will be received online. We encourage any applicants that have difficulty filling out the online application to email us.
Contact
[email protected]
978-346-8862
Address
Town Hall
4 School Street
Merrimac, MA 01860-1989
Application Information
FY26 Allocation
$7,300
FY26 Local Priorities
The Merrimac Cultural Council gathers input from the community and develops funding priorities based on this feedback. This year the Merrimac Cultural Council will prioritize:
– Applicants that have secured a local venue
– Projects that have been sponsored (e.g., by library or senior center staff)
In addition to the state criteria, applications will be evaluated using the following review criteria:
– How well the program meets our local priorities
– Community support and involvement
– Evidence of track record and dedication of the applicant
– Ability to support diverse forms of cultural activities
– Financial need
– Demonstrated planning
FY26 Local Guidelines
The Merrimac Cultural Council favors local applicants with established venues or sponsors. We fund arts-related projects when feasible and encourage new applicants or projects of particular interest to our local community. When reviewing applicants, we also consider local needs, a balanced age range and scope of audiences, community involvement, and diversity. We prefer funding projects directly rather than supporting fundraising activities. Applications should be submitted via this website. Applicants who plan to use the Library or Senior Center or partner with the Library or Council on Aging as part of their event are encouraged to contact those departments before applying to determine if they will apply. If they are, the applicant should include with their application signed correspondence from the Library or Council on Aging in support of their application. Likewise, any applicant who plans to use school facilities for their event should have signed correspondence from the School District supporting their application or agreeing to allow the School facility to be used for such an event. Projects accepted for funding must be completed within one year of receipt of our acceptance letter.
How Grant Recipients Are Paid
Direct Grants
FY26 Funding List
| Name | Project Title | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Black Dog Theatre Company | A Christmas Carol: A Live Radio Play | $925 | Friends of Veasey Park, Inc. | Rubbish to Runway Re-Fashion Show | $400 | Houle, Jenn | Merrimac Pollinator Mural Guides | $500 | MUSIC Dance.edu | Hip Hop Chair Dance for Seniors! | $280 | Merrimac Public Library | McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center Traveling Planetarium | $631 | Merrimac Public Library | 3D Printing Workshop | $485 | Merrimack Valley Concert Band, Incorporated | Merrimac Old Home Days / Merrimac 150 Anniversary | $800 | Newburyport Chamber Music Festival, Inc. | Newburyport Chamber Music Festival: A Jubilee Celebration | $700 | Newburyport Choral Society, Inc. | The Mendelssohns, featuring Elijah | $300 | Newburyport Literary Festival | Newburyport Literary Festival | $500 | Olde Essex Stage Company | 6th Annual Shakespeare in the Park | $500 | OnStage, Inc. | North Shore Puppetry & Clowning Festival | $500 | Open Air Sculpture Group | 2026 Open Air Sculpture at Maudslay | $362 | Pentucket Fine & Performing Arts Foundation | Fairytale Hayride | $400 | Terezin: Children of the Holocaust, Inc. | The Rememberer | $300 | The Delvena Theatre Company, Inc. | A Christmas Carol | $695 |