Testimony of Mass Cultural Council Executive Director Michael J. Bobbitt to theHouse Committee on Federal Funding, Policy and Accountability and the Joint Committee on Tourism, Arts and Cultural Development
Informational Hearing on Impacts on Tourism, Arts and Cultural Development
Tuesday, July 15, 2025
Good afternoon, Chair LaNatra, Vice Chair Donaghue, Chair Garballey, Chair Mark, and distinguished Members of the Committee.
For the record, my name is Michael J. Bobbitt, and I am honored to serve as Executive Director of Mass Cultural Council, the Commonwealth’s independent state arts agency.
I’m joined today by our Senior Director of Public Affairs, Bethann Steiner.
Thank you for convening this important conversation on the impact of recent federal policy changes on Massachusetts’ cultural sector.
It is timely, and deeply necessary.
Let me be candid: Mass Cultural Council is watching with growing alarm as key federal agencies that sustain our nation’s cultural infrastructure – the National Endowment for the Arts, The National Endowment for Humanities, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services, along with institutions like the Kennedy Center and the Smithsonian – face unprecedented disruption and defunding.
This isn’t hypothetical. This is already happening.
We’ve heard directly from partners, some sitting in this room, who received abrupt, late-night notifications rescinding federal funds that had already been approved.
No warning. No explanation. Just… gone.
The consequences are real and immediate.
Cultural organizations that are the heartbeat of their communities – theaters, museums, youth arts programs, historic sites, and many more are now forced to ask gut-wrenching questions: Can we keep our staff? Can we keep our doors open? Can we continue serving our communities?
I want to be frank – these federal funds touch all regions of Massachusetts, and this will be a huge loss to our economy.
A few examples, as reported in the media include:
- $1.3 million in support for MassHumanities from the NEH was terminated
- The Museum of African American History on Beacon Hill and Nantucket lost a half million-dollar grant from the IMLS
- More than $380 thousand in NEH support lost by the American Antiquarian Society in Worcester
- Both MassMoCA, in the Berkshires, and the Boston Center for the Arts each lost $50 thousand from the NEA
- $40,000 in NEH dollars stripped from the Porter-Phelps-Huntington House Museum in Hadley
I’m inspired to see that some of these venerable institutions are here today, and I know many more will share their story with your Committees in writing.
It’s important to tally these losses and discuss, document, and understand the impacts. I am thankful that you are providing this platform to do so today.
It’s also important to note, with pride, that here in Massachusetts, we tell a different story, one of resolve and resilience.
While the federal landscape grows more uncertain, the Commonwealth has chosen to lead.
I want to thank you, sincerely, for your unwavering commitment to the arts and culture, and for delivering a historic nearly $27 million investment in the FY26 state budget.
This is not just a number. It’s a lifeline.
It is a bold declaration that culture matters to our economy, to our communities, and to our shared identity.
Your leadership ensures that Mass Cultural Council can continue making equitable, strategic investments in creative individuals, cultural organizations, youth art programs, communities and cross-sector strategic partnership across Massachusetts.
But make no mistake, even with your support, many of our cultural organizations rely heavily on federal funding.
And for them, this crisis is unfolding in real time.
Let me remind us all why this matters.
Massachusetts is not just rich in history and culture; we are a national leader in the creative economy.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, our sector contributes $29.7 billion annually – 4% of the state’s GDP – surpassing even construction and transportation.
We support more than 130,000 jobs statewide, not just in Boston, but from Pittsfield to Provincetown.
We were recently ranked as the third most arts-vibrant state in the nation by SMU DataArts for the second consecutive year.
And more than 15,000 cultural organizations and 112,000 full-time creative individuals call Massachusetts home.
These are not just artists.
They are educators, community builders, small business owners, caregivers, historians, people whose work brings creativity, beauty, healing, understanding, and innovation into our lives.
When federal support vanishes overnight, it doesn’t just erase budgets, it erodes the soul of our communities.
At Mass Cultural Council, federal support makes up about 4% of our annual budget.
Historically, those funds have allowed us to extend our reach and deepen our grant making impact.
This year, due to federal Executive Orders targeting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives, we had prepared to build our FY26 spending plan without any federal support, a sobering scenario.
After close consultation with the Healey-Driscoll Administration, however, we will move forward with accepting our FY26 state partnership grant of just over $1.3 million.
The Healey-Driscoll Administration advises that our equity goals are consistent with federal civil rights law.
And Mass Cultural Council’s governing body has stood firm with our staff team to say that we are not going to walk away from our equity initiatives, that, since Fiscal Year 22, we have been heralded as a national leader in this space amongst state art agencies.
If approved, we will use these NEA funds to expand our grantmaking, ensuring more communities benefit from the power of culture.
This entire experience has made one thing abundantly clear: we are fortunate to live in a state that chooses to lead when it comes to supporting the cultural sector.
But we are not immune to the ripple effects of federal disinvestment.
Continued vigilance, advocacy, bold public investments, creative and robust policy interventions, and partnerships across state government like planning, health care, education, workforce development, parks and rec, and transportation will be required to protect what we’ve built to date, expand, and to keep culture thriving in every corner of the Commonwealth.
One thing to note, public support for the arts inspires private support. When government divests from the arts, the private sector often follows.
Now is the time to double down on this vast and unique asset – the cultural sector.
Thank you, again, for standing with us and for recognizing the transformative, essential role that culture and creativity plays in our lives.
We know that arts and culture are not simply “nice to have” – they are essential, for community vibrancy, and good health, and that creativity is a skill necessary for success in every economic sector.
Thank you for convening this important conversation today.
I welcome your questions.
