Resources for Municipalities
Mass Cultural Council – the state arts agency – is charged with bolstering the Commonwealth’s cultural sector.
Our efforts:
Advance economic vitality
Support transformational change
Celebrate, preserve, and inspire creativity across all communities
The Agency pursues its mission through a wide range of grants, initiatives, and advocacy for artists, communities, and organizations.
Our work intersects most directly with cities and towns through our Local Cultural Council Program and Cultural Districts Initiative . There are also a number of grant programs to which municipalities can apply.
Spending Opioid Relief Funds on Social Prescription
Every city and town has been awarded opioid settlement funds. We are urging municipalities to consider Social Prescription as a means to fuel prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery efforts .
Local Cultural Council Program
Download
Complete with your LCC
LCC Account Form (Excel) – use this to calculate the dollars available for granting this cycle
Rural Municipalities Toolkit
The Rural Municipalities Toolkit is a collection of accessible, supportive resources for cities and towns interested in bolstering their creative community and economic development.
Mass Municipal Association webinars featuring Mass Cultural Council Close Open Mass Municipal Association webinars featuring Mass Cultural Council
Adapting Public Buildings for Creative Uses Mass Cultural Council provides an overview of how abandoned municipal buildings have been adapted into artist and creative spaces, featuring projects in Harwich, Easthampton and Dedham.
Leveraging Arts and Culture for Substance Use Prevention and Recovery slide deck A discussion about how communities can use opioid settlement funds for prevention and recovery services that involve arts and culture, featuring the Town of Franklin. Advancing Community Arts, Culture, and Economic Development: Best Practices for Select Boards slide deck Representatives from Mass Cultural Council discuss how select boards can support arts and culture initiatives and advance economic development in their communities, while local officials from Orleans and Carlisle present local case studies. Building Vibrant and Creative Communities slide deck Officials from municipalities with thriving cultural communities discuss how to build public support for arts, culture and tourism; celebrate different traditions and talents; and promote economic opportunity within cities and towns. Embracing Culture in the Commonwealth slide deck An overview of the mission, vision, and impact of Mass Cultural Council. Panelists discuss how communities can support and promote the arts by appointing staff to a local cultural council , and how they can build cultural districts through community initiatives, such as planning and zoning.
