On Thursday the state House of Representatives approved a budget plan for the next fiscal year that calls for investing $16.6 million in the arts, humanities, and sciences through the Mass Cultural Council. The House proposal would add $533,000 for arts and cultural funding in Fiscal Year 2020, which begins July 1.
As Spring slowly inches across the Commonwealth, we’re reminded of all that the season evokes; hope, natural changes, and new growth. But for municipalities throughout Massachusetts the annual sentiment is more reminiscent to Leo Tolstoy’s words in Anna Karenina, “Spring is the time of plans and projects.” Nothing symbolizes this more than the creation, proposal, and adoption of a municipality’s annual budget.
Culture and community are intertwined, with each feeding into the other; neither can thrive in any meaningful way without individuals and institutions seeing and acknowledging the value of all those who make up our communities.
The Gaming Mitigation Program, established by MGL Section 59 chapter 23K, aims to mitigate a direct threat to the sustainability of nonprofit performing arts centers in Massachusetts by providing capital to preserve their ability to compete in a new, unbalanced marketplace.
It is both riveting and heartbreaking. Unbelievable. It survived 800 years, revolution, war, neglect. Yet, the live images don’t lie. Notre-Dame is in flames. The spire, a silhouette in orange glow, collapses before our eyes. The world feels the loss. An icon, that attracted 13 million visitors a year, has suffered catastrophic damage. It can be rebuilt...it will be rebuilt...but the layers of history cannot be recovered.
Today the House Committee on Ways and Means released a state budget proposal for the coming fiscal year that calls for investing $16.6 million in the arts, humanities, and sciences through the Mass Cultural Council.
Cultural and political leaders from across the Commonwealth joined Mass Cultural Council yesterday for the 2019 Commonwealth Awards, honoring exceptional achievement in the arts, humanities, and sciences.
Check out recent episodes of Creative Minds Out Loud, Mass Cultural Council's podcast, featuring:
- Eileen McCaffery of Community Music School of Springfield and Julie Jaron of Springfield Public Schools
- Lee Blake of the New Bedford Historical Society
- Neil Gordon of Discovery Museum
Congratulations to Massachusetts' 329 Local Cultural Councils (LCCs) for awarding over 6,300 grants totaling almost $4M in fiscal year 2019!
Executive Director Anita Walker's remarks at MASSCreative’s 2019 Arts Advocacy Day: I just read about a new book that contends “the bright side has been denied the attention it deserves.” That’s not because there isn’t plenty of bright side. I’m looking at it…all of you...filling this hall. ...
