Power of Culture Blog
So Many Traditions, So Little Time
Reflections of a state folklorist
Bethann Steiner, Public Affairs Director
On December 13, 2021 Governor Baker signed Chapter 102 of the Acts of 2021, An Act Relative to Immediate COVID-19 Recovery Needs into law. This multi-billion-dollar pandemic recovery spending plan invests both federal ARPA and state surplus revenue dollars into key economic sectors to spur activity and growth.
The Act directs Mass Cultural Council to develop and implement new, one-time grant programs to assist Massachusetts artists and cultural organizations with their pandemic recovery, and funds this initiative with $60.1 million.
Early in 2022 Mass Cultural Council solicited public comment from cultural sector stakeholders on what sort of pandemic recovery program would have the most impact – and the message received was very clear. Hundreds of individual cultural sector workers, artists, and cultural organization leaders overwhelmingly requested and sought access to unrestricted funds to bolster their economic recovery efforts.
Between February and May, Mass Cultural Council’s program staff worked collaboratively to develop two new programs which will launch early in Fiscal Year 2023:
Draft program guidelines were presented and approved by the Agency’s governing Council on May 23 and are now available for public review.
Cultural Sector Recovery Grants for Individuals are unrestricted $5,000 grants to creatives and gig workers to support recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and set a path for growth. Key dates for this program include:
Application opens: August 15, 2022
Information sessions: August 23 and October 6, 2022
Office hours: Various days
Application deadline: November 1, 2022
Awards finalized; email notifications sent: Late January 2023
Contracts sent: February 2023
Cultural Sector Recovery Grants for Organizations offers unrestricted grants ranging from $5,000-$75,000 to Massachusetts cultural organizations, collectives, and businesses negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Key dates for this program include:
Application opens: August 8, 2022
Information sessions: August 10 and August 11, 2022
Office hours: Various days
Application deadline: September 28, 2022
Awards finalized; email notifications sent: Late January 2023
Contracts sent: February 2023
In accordance with the goals articulated in Mass Cultural Council’s Racial Equity Plan to invest resources equitably across the cultural sector, and to ensure these one-time pandemic recovery funds are distributed widely to as many eligible recipients as possible, Agency staff will focus on recruiting potential applicants, answering questions, and providing support during the summer and fall months.
Mass Cultural Council notes with deep appreciation that $60.1 million is roughly three times larger than the Agency’s annual spending plan. This is a historic amount of state resources that we have been charged with investing into the cultural sector, and we are ready to work with you to spur growth and recovery, together.
Learn More About Cultural Sector Recovery Grants for Individuals
Learn More About Cultural Sector Recovery Grants for Organizations
