Weston Cultural Council
Welcome to The Weston Cultural Council!
The Council is charged with distributing money in the form of grants allotted to the Town of Weston through the Massachusetts Cultural Council’s Local Cultural Council (LCC) Program, the largest grassroots cultural funding network in the nation supporting thousands of community-based projects annually. Volunteers appointed by the Weston Select Board evaluate and oversee grants for projects and programs accessible to a broad spectrum of town residents that promote excellence, education, diversity and inclusion in three areas:
Arts — including the performing arts (e.g. music, theater, film), visual arts (painting, drawing, sculpture, photography), crafts, folk, design, and interdisciplinary arts.
Humanities — including history, social studies, philosophy, criticism, and literature.
Interpretive Sciences — including lectures and activities to engage people in nature, science, and technology in ways that connect to their lives.
Grants support an enormous range of activities, including community-wide festivals, concerts, and plays; exhibitions and projects by local artists; nature, science, and environmental education programs and participatory activities; video productions; after-school youth programs; workshops in writing and the visual arts; local history and cultural diversity projects; and lectures and book discussions in the humanities.
Grant applicants are encouraged to work with local institutions such as the Weston Public Library, the Arts and Innovation Center, and the Council on Aging to secure a venue in advance for their program. Programming can be in-person, online, hybrid, or hands-on where appropriate.
Contact
Christine Martin
wcc02493@gmail.com
781-786-5000
Address
11 Town House Road
Weston, MA 02493-2000
Connect on Social
Facebook
Application Information
FY23 Allocation
$5,500
FY23 Local Priorities
The Weston Cultural Council is charged with distributing money in the form of grants allotted to the Town of Weston through the Massachusetts Cultural Council’s Local Cultural Council (LCC) Program, the largest grassroots cultural funding network in the nation supporting thousands of community-based projects annually. The WCC has collected data from the residents of the Town of Weston to inform its funding priorities for the next few years. Volunteers appointed by the Weston Select Board evaluate and oversee grants for projects and programs accessible to broad spectrum of town residents that promote excellence, education, diversity and inclusion in three areas:
Arts — including the performing arts (e.g. music, theater, film), visual arts (painting, drawing, sculpture, photography), crafts, folk, design, and interdisciplinary arts.
Humanities — including history, social studies, philosophy, criticism, and literature.
Interpretive Sciences — including lectures and activities to engage people in nature, science, and technology in ways that connect to their lives.
Grants support an enormous range of activities, including community-wide festivals, concerts, and plays; exhibitions and projects by local artists; nature, science, and environmental education programs and participatory activities; video productions; after-school youth programs; workshops in writing and the visual arts; local history and cultural diversity projects; and lectures and book discussions in the humanities.
Grant applicants are encouraged to work with local institutions such as the Weston Public Library, the Arts and Innovation Center, and the Council on Aging to secure a venue in advance for their program. Programming can be in-person, online, hybrid, or hands-on where appropriate.
FY23 Local Guidelines
The Weston Cultural Council seeks grant applications for projects and programs accessible to broad spectrum of town residents that promote excellence, education, diversity and inclusion in three areas:
1. Arts — including the performing arts (e.g. music, theater, film), visual arts (painting, drawing, sculpture, photography), crafts, folk, design, and interdisciplinary arts.
2. Humanities — including history, social studies, philosophy, criticism, and literature.
3. Interpretive Sciences — including lectures and activities to engage people in nature, science, and technology in ways that connect to their lives.
Past grants have supported an enormous range of activities, including community-wide festivals, concerts, and plays; exhibitions and projects by local artists; nature, science, and environmental education programs and participatory activities; video productions; after-school youth programs; workshops in writing and the visual arts; local history and cultural diversity projects; and lectures and book discussions in the humanities.
Weston Cultural Council Local Guidelines:
1. We prefer to approve grant projects that have not taken place before the grants have been requested.
2. Grants should have a confirmed Weston local venue. Applicants are encouraged to work with local institutions such as the Weston Public Library, the Arts and Innovation Center, and the Council on Aging to secure a venue in advance for their program. Programming can be in-person, online, hybrid, or hands-on where appropriate.
3. A letter from the hosting venue is required to accompany the application.
4. A well-planned budget and proposal is required to accompany the application.
5. Due to the limited amount of funds available, the majority of grants funded are for less than $1000. Partial funding is frequently offered by the WCC and smaller requests are more likely to be funded in full.
6. Funds are not to be used as the sole means of support for projects of a continuing nature. although reapplications for continuing projects are occasionally funded. We encourage groups not to rely on WCC funding on a yearly basis and to develop other sources of funding.
7. Funds may not be used for the purchase of food.
8. Funds for scholarships are available to applicant organizations or individuals, and must demonstrate community benefit.
9. The applicant, or person leading the project/program, should have been engaged in the kind of activity for which funds are requested for at least one year.
10. Those who receive grants are required to publicize their program to Weston residents and to acknowledge the Weston Cultural Council in all promotional material.
For a complete list of the state requirements visit www.mass-culture.org/lcc_public_applicant_guidelines.aspx.
How Grant Recipients Are Paid
Direct Grants
FY23 Funding List
| Name | Project Title | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Argyrople, Catherine | Growing Pains - Feature Film | $800 | Cardinal Spellman Philatelic Museum, Inc. | Stamps Come Alive | $500 | Clear Path for Veterans New England, Inc. | Native American Style Flute | $300 | Discovery Museum, Inc. | Open Door Connections | $300 | Golden Ball Tavern Keepers, Inc. | Moving Beyond Intolerance: Creating a New Nation after the American Revolution | $800 | Kirby, Poornima | Shake-scene | $800 | Land's Sake, Inc. | Open Farmyard: Experiencing Farm Life | $1,285 | Regis College | Access Through the Arts: Allison Maria Rodriguez Exhibit | $500 | The Rivers School Conservatory | Rivers Symphony Orchestra 2022-23 Season | $1,000 | The Weston Friendly Society of the Performing Arts, Inc. | Weston Friendly Society Rehearsal/Production Mirrors | $1,000 | WeStar Corp. | Boston International Asian Music Festival (Weston) | $1,000 | Welles, Christopher | Monthly Concert & Jazz Jam | $900 | Weston Art and Innovation Center | Mural by Jake Ginga, aka MakerJake | $1,200 | Weston Council on Aging | Women in World Jazz Concert | $800 | Weston Garden Club and the Provisional Group | Indoor Gardens for All | $1,000 |
