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Cultural Organizations: Join Card to Culture & Make Culture More Accessible to More Families

Dawn Heinen, Digital Communications Manager

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photo of 3 people standing in an immersive light experience, the space is glowing a purple-ish blue on all surfaces, evoking an infinite feeling of space. They are facing a wall with a large rectangular shape that is glowing a slightly different shade of purple from the rest of the space.
Perfectly Clear (Ganzfeld), by James Turrell, on exhibit at MASS MoCA. Photo: Florian Holzherr.

Through Mass Cultural Council’s Card to Culture program, more than 500 cultural organizations across the state are expanding cultural access to low-income and working families by voluntarily offering free or steeply discounted admission to their programs, events, or exhibits.

We are proud to partner with three other state agencies on this program: the Department of Transitional Assistance, the Massachusetts Health Connector, and the Department of Public Health’s Women, Infants, & Children (WIC) Nutrition Program.

Card to Culture is the nation’s most comprehensive effort to ensure individuals and families of all socio-economic backgrounds are able to access and benefit firsthand from cultural experiences. Launched in 2017, more than a million Card to Culture admissions have been facilitated through this partnership to-date.

Mass Cultural Council welcomes and encourages additional organizations to join the Card to Culture program this year. Applications are now open!

The program offers several benefits to cardholders:

  • Increased Accessibility: The program enhances access for cardholders, allowing them to engage with cultural offerings they might otherwise find prohibitive.
  • Discounted Admission: Cardholders receive reduced to free entry fees to various venues and events.
  • Diverse Offerings: Organizations can help expose the wider public to a variety of cultural experiences including theaters, galleries, and events promoting exploration of different art forms and/or educational opportunities.
  • Community Engagement: Participating in this program encourages community involvement in local arts and culture, fostering new connections between residents and Card to Culture participating organizations.

Participating organizations receive training and communications on implementing Card to Culture as well as prioritization points on eligible applications submitted to Mass Cultural Council’s Operating Grants for Organizations, and new Creative Experiences grant program. At the same time, the partner agencies administering these cards promote participating organizations to their constituencies.

There are many working examples for museums, performing arts organizations, membership-based organizations, schools, etc. (For example, hear about Boston’s Children’s Museum’s experience with offering EBT card discounts.)

A complete list of participating organizations offering EBT, WIC, and ConnectorCare cardholder discounts are listed on the partner agencies’ websites.

Interested in uncovering the benefits to participating in Card to Culture? Learn more.

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