COVID-19 has devastated the arts and cultural sector. No more gigs. No more plays. No more gallery showings. Still, as they usually do, artists are finding ways to make and share their art with the world.
LCCs approved grants this year for nearly 7,000 community-based projects in the arts, humanities, and sciences. Then COVID-19 hit.
$475K from the National Endowment for the Art's CARES Act allocation will be awarded to 74 CYD programs statewide.
We've awarded $1,000 grants to 272 individual artists and individual teaching artists, humanists, and scientists whose creative practices and incomes have been impacted by COVID-19.
During this challenging time, Cultural District managers are looking to not only provide technical services to individual artists, cultural organizations, and small businesses. They are also coordinating local efforts to continue providing cultural experiences to their communities.
Check out recent episodes of Creative Minds Out Loud, Mass Cultural Council's podcast, featuring:
- L’Merchie Frazier of the Museum of African American History, Boston/Nantucket
- Marquis Victor of Elevated Thought
- Craig Coogan of Boston Gay Men’s Chorus
Nearly 700 organizations responding to Mass Cultural Council surveys report more than $264,000,000 in lost revenue since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
Mass Cultural Council is issuing a second survey to collect data on the economic impact of COVID-19 on cultural organizations. Please respond to this survey by April 14, 2020.
Our governing Council has approved two COVID-19 relief efforts to help individuals and cultural organizations address economic impacts associated with the coronavirus pandemic.
The first-ever virtual hearing by the Joint Committee on Tourism, Arts and Cultural Development was pulled together in a matter of days, attracted more than 220 members of the public and told the stories behind the numbers of revenue loss, layoffs and hardship affecting the cultural sector in Massachusetts.
