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photo of a lit gallery wall, covered in works on paper and paintings. in the foreground is a black silhouette of a woman holding a mic and performing
Home / About / Our Equity Work / Equity Journey Map

Equity Journey Map

Working to invest financial, programmatic, and informational resources equitably.

2026
September 1
Tribal Cultural Councils Now Accepting Applications for Community Projects

photo of a woman seated outside weaving.
Grants available for projects that meet specific Tribal criteria. (Image: Aquinnah-based artist, NaDaizja Bolling. Photo: Lauren Miller.)

August 13
Celebrating Our Champion of Access

photo of a man and woman smiling together holding a large handmade poster that reads "We Heart Uncle Charles".
Charles G. Baldwin receives LEAD’s Award for Excellence in Accessibility Leadership (Image: Nicole Agois, Managing Director of Open Door Arts with Charles G. Baldwin at the LEAD conference.)

June 4
Equity Progress Report (Feb – May ’26)

photo of a delighted child reaching out to touch a dragon during a Lunar New Year Celebration. Behind her, a crowd of attendees are smiling and taking photos with their phones. A regular update on our equity work (Image: Lunar New Year event at the Ecotarium.)

April 16
When Cost is No Longer a Barrier

photo of a long table with young people on both sides creating geometric shapes out of marshmallows and uncooked spaghetti noodles.
Card to Culture’s 600+ Organizations Provided 3 Million Free or Steeply Discounted Admissions (Image: STEAM Challenge Night hosted by Flying Cloud Institute.)

April 1
Tribal Cultural Council Program Celebrates 2nd Year of Grantmaking

photo of 4 people standing on a frozen lake or pond, looking down at a round hole cut out of it for ice fishing. 2 adults are showing to young people how to use a traditional Nipmuc fishing line.Funded projects support Tribal cultural priorities, grounded in their sovereignty and right to self-determination (Image: Nipmuc Cultural Hunt and Ice Fishing event.)

February 25
Equity Progress Report (Nov ’25 – Jan ’26)

photo of youth theater rehearsal. A man is stands giving direction to a semi circle of actors seated on the floor of a black box theater.

A regular update on our equity work (Image: Youth Underground Ensemble in rehearsal.)

January 8
Innovation Fund Invests in Cultural Organizations’ Institutional Accessibility

photo of a man playing guitar on a stage. on one side of him stands an ASL interpreter. on the other side of him captions are showing on a large screen for the audience.

$465,000 has been awarded to 93 UP Designated Organizations. (Image: Tony Memmel’s keynote address at the 2025 ABLE Assembly conference, with ASL interpreter and live captioning. Photo: Dave Green.)

January 5
Welcome Native American & Indigenous People’s Advisory Committee Members!

photo collage of 8 headshots.

This new committee will provide leadership and expertise on implementing the Agency’s equity goals. (Image: Advisory Committee Members (top, l-r): Jean-Luc Pierite; Dr. Darlene Flores, DC; Steven Peters; NaDaizja Bolling; (bottom, l-r) Cheryll Toney Holley; Maria Turner; David W. Weeden; and Melissa Ferretti.)

2025
November 12
Equity Progress Report (Sept – Oct ’25)

photo of a child drawing on an outdoor mural.

 

A regular update on our equity work (Image: Newton Festival of the Arts, 2023. Photo: Annielly Camargo.)

September 10
$100K Invested in New Arts & Culture Accessibility Hub

painting of a woman with her back to us. she's sitting at a vanity table. on the wall in front of her is a depiction of the Comedy/Tragedy Theater Masks. The painting is very textured in its brush strokes.

Open Door Arts’ new platform to help organizations improve accessibility and deepen engagement with the disability community (Image: DaNice D. Marshall’s Drama Queen, one of the art works featured in the new Arts and Culture Accessibility Hub.)

September 2
2nd Year of Tribal Cultural Council Program Kicks Off

photo of a half dozen adults and children paddling in a canoe made by hand in the tradition of the Herring Pond Wampanoag Tribe.

4 Tribal Cultural Councils accepting applications for community projects (Image: A community paddle hosted by Herring Pond Wampanoag Tribe, the first tribe to participate in the Tribal Cultural Council Program.)

August 27
Equity Progress Report (Mar – Aug ’25)

three older woman wearing pink and red have drums around their waists and wave red pendant flags above their heads.

A regular report on our equity work (Image: Andover Chinese Charm Circle performance.)

June 12
Welcome Disability Advisory Committee Members!

 

strip of 4 images of people serving on the Disability Advisory Committee

This new committee will provide leadership and expertise on implementing the Agency’s d/Deaf & Disability Equity Plan (Image: Four committee members.)

April 3
Supporting Organizations in Establishing Access Plans

photo of 2 visitors in a gallery. One is standing, the other is in a wheelchair. The art work in front of them includes multiple boxes of color with chalk writing over parts.
How the Agency is employing Open Door Arts’ Arts & Culture Accessibility Self-Assessment (Image: Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston. Photo: Lauren Miller.)

February 28
Equity Progress Report (Dec ’24 – Feb ’25)

Two young women with black curly hair hold their instruments up and smile. One has a saxophone, the other a clarinet.

A regular update on our equity work (Image: Margarita Muñiz Academy Foundation’s Spring Concert. Photo: Francisco Santos.)

2024
November 27
Equity Progress Report (Sept – Nov ’24)

photo of an ASL interpreter signing on the stage of the Boston Hatchshell.

A regular update on our equity work (Image: Breaking Down Barriers Coordinator Christopher Robinson provides ASL interpretation of the feel of the music as Boston Landmarks Orchestra performs.)

November 4
Advancing Equity & Investing in More Organizations

photo looking down at a large table covered in print outs and mock ups. 6 young people sitting in black office chairs work with the papers strewn about.
Artists for Humanity

A change in how the Agency will distribute grants to cultural organizations this year (Photo: Artists for Humanity)

October 7
Native American and Indigenous People’s Equity Plan Featured Nationally

painted canvas with 4 quadrants of color - blue, black, sienna, and cream in the background, 4 lightning bolt shaped lines span from top to bottom. there's a tear near the center bottom of teh canvas and a few shells sewn into the bottom right corner
The Universe is My Regalia, a painting by Erin Genia.

The National Assembly of State Arts Agencies featured our Native American and Indigenous People’s Equity Plan. (Image: The Universe is My Regalia, a painting by Erin Genia.)

October 1
New Tribal Cultural Council Program Launches

Photo detail of a pair of hands weaving many strands of white, red, yellow, and black into a traditional twined sash.

The Tribal Cultural Council Program was inspired by the long, successful history of local autonomy and community driven decisions that are cornerstones of the Local Cultural Council Program. (Image: Aquinnah-based artist, NaDaizja Bolling making a traditional twined sash. Photo: Lauren Miller.)

September 23
HireCulture Leading the Way on Wage Transparency

detail of a web banner with the text Hire Culture creative employment in Massachusetts.

This summer, the Governor signed a new wage transparency law is aimed at promoting equity in the workplace. Our HireCulture.org employment site has required salary disclosure since September 2020. (Image: Detail of web banner for HireCulture.)

August 29
Equity Progress Report (July-Aug ’24)

photo of a lit gallery wall, covered in works on paper and paintings. in the foreground is a black silhouette of a woman holding a mic and performing
A regular update on our equity work (Image: Young woman performing at Elevated Thought’s gallery. Photo: Gretchen Ertl.)

August 15
Charles G. Baldwin Receives 2024 Abilities Dance Boston Nicole A. Ally Award

photo of a smiling middle aged man wearing all black.

Recognized for his dedication to accessibility for the Deaf & Disabled community throughout Massachusetts

July 17
Planning for Access: Announcing Our Deaf & Disability Equity Plan

photo of two artists painting in their vibrant and cluttered studio. In the foreground, an artist sits in a wheelchair. In the background, another artist leans on a stool.
Part of a suite of plans developed by the Agency and its stakeholders to center equity as a guiding principle and a strategic practice; directing advancement and investment (Image: Artist Elson Fortes paints in his studio at Humphreys Street Studio during Dorchester Open Studios. Photo: Annielly Camargo.)

July 2
HireCulture.org Now Requires Salary Disclosure

Hire Culture logo

In a step to address pay gaps and inequity in the cultural sector, Mass Cultural Council is pleased to announce that we have updated HireCulture.org, our creative employment site used by more than 1,500 organizations, to require salary in appropriate job categories. (Image: web site banner image.)

July 1
Native American & Indigenous People’s Equity Plan (FY25-27) Launches

 

photo of a group of Native Americans dressed in traditional regalia standing together at a Pow Wow

With this three-year plan, Mass Cultural Council commits to doing the ongoing and long-term work to support Native and Indigenous artists and culture bearers. (Image: Pow wow hosted by Massachusetts Center for Native American Awareness in the Berkshires. Photo: Jen Lawless.)

July 1
Deaf & Disability Equity Plan (FY25-28) Launches

photo of 2 visitors to Drumlin Farm. One, a man in a wheelchair, has a communications device in his lap and is reaching through a fence to touch a cow. The second, a woman not in a wheelchair, crouches down with him to admire the animal.

With this four-year plan, Mass Cultural Council will work to provide equitable investments, support accessibility needs, and affect systems change in the creative sector of Massachusetts. (Image: Mass Audubon visitors. Photo Courtesy of Mass Audubon.)

June 10
Racial Equity Progress Report (Apr – June ’24)

photo of a seated man on a town green painting on a easel that's set up behind a table displaying his other works for sale.

A regular update on our anti-racism work (Image: Artist Mekhi Mendoza selling his art at a community event.)

May 9
Advancing Creativity, Supporting Financial Stability

A spare watercolor painting of a child on a swing, casting a shadow over a pale, monochromatic background.

Exploring the impact of grants on people receiving public benefits (Image: Watercolor painting by Will Dowd, a past Mass Cultural Council grantee.)

March 25
Racial Equity Progress Report (Jan – Mar ’24)

photo of 3 musicians performing on stage in front of a blue curtain backdrop. On the left a

A regular update on our anti-racism work (Image: Dan and Claudia Zanes performing at the Marilyn Rodman Performing Arts Center.)

March 21
Native American & Indigenous People’s Equity Plan Approved

photo of a group of Native Americans dressed in traditional clothing standing together at a Pow Wow

The governing Council approved the Native American & Indigenous People’s Equity Plan (FY25-27) to go into effect on July 1, 2024. Building on the Agency’s Racial Equity Plan, it outlines some of the internal and external steps we will take to support and encourage an anti-racist cultural sector in the Commonwealth. (Image: Pow wow hosted by Massachusetts Center for Native American Awareness in the Berkshires. Photo: Jen Lawless.)


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