Worcester Arts Council
The mission of the Worcester Arts Council (WAC) is to promote excellence, access, education and diversity in the arts, humanities and interpretive sciences to improve the quality of life for Worcester residents and contribute to the economic vitality of our city.
WAC accepts grant applications on an annual basis between September 1st and October 15th. Applicants are notified of the Council’s funding decisions in January of the following year. Grants are awarded to support arts, humanities and interpretive sciences, visual artists, performing artists, science educators, historians and other humanists, as well as community, civic groups, social service organizations, schools, neighborhood centers, and youth, senior and family associations.
Contact
Nikki Erskine
ArtsCouncil@WorcesterMA.gov
508-799-1400
http://www.worcesterma.gov/cultural-development/worcester-arts-council
Address
455 Main Street Room 409
Worcester, MA 01608-1800
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Application Information
FY24 Allocation
$226,600
FY24 Local Priorities
While all projects in the arts, humanities, and sciences will be considered, based on community input gathered in 2023, WAC will give preference to grant applications that align with the following Funding Priorities for FY24:
Project Categories | Projects that focus on Public Art, Musical Performances, Arts Education & Instruction, and programs for all age groups from children to seniors.
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Access (DEIA) | Projects that elevate the voices and experiences of historically marginalized groups to highlight the current and historical diversity of Worcester. Projects should create opportunities for artists and community members through a DEIA lens.
Locations | Projects that take place in or benefit areas of Worcester that are historically underserved.
FY24 Local Guidelines
Grant guidelines for WAC’s FY24 grant season can be found on the City of Worcester website by visiting https://www.worcesterma.gov/uploads/01/b1/01b150d29c71fbf7c2759bc024dd65c7/2024-grant-guidelines.pdf
How Grant Recipients Are Paid
Direct Grants
FY23 Funding List
| Name | Project Title | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| African Community Education Program | ACE & Crocodile River Drumming & Dancing Project | $4,300 | Art in the Park, Worcester | Art in the Park, Worcester | $5,000 | ArtsWorcester, Inc. | Nineteenth Annual College Show | $5,000 | Bastante, Claudia | Exploring the sounds of Music | $5,000 | Building Futures, Inc. | BFI 2023 Summer Music Program | $3,000 | Burgos, Matthew | Worcester Portrait Exchange | $3,000 | Butler, Eric | Broadway in Worcester: Education Workshops | $5,000 | Carboo, Emmanuel | Wavvz Dtf Printing workshop | $5,000 | Center for Nonviolent Solutions, Inc. | Walking Tour of Worcester's Peace History | $2,420 | College of the Holy Cross | Refugee Artisans of Worcester: Digital Archive | $5,000 | Curtin, Curt | Creating a bilingual poetry collection for young adults | $4,500 | Dominguez, David | Salvadoran Festival | $3,780 | Downtown Worcester Business Improvement District, Inc. | Downtown Worcester Winter Festival 2023 | $5,000 | First Unitarian Church of Worcester | Organ Concert Series at First Unitarian Worcester | $3,500 | Girls Incorporated of Worcester | Music Workshop Series | $4,000 | Goris, Yasmin | Ultraviolet Radiation- A Black Light Art Experience | $5,000 | Hayes, Tessa | Neighborhive Pop Up Art Hives Initiative @ The Village Worcester | $5,000 | Huynh, Kimberly | The Monarch Butterfly and Crane Movement | $4,325 | Jaskot, Matthew | Close and Apart | $4,800 | Joy of Music Program, Inc. | JOMP Children's Chorus | $5,000 | Jubilee Career Center for the Performing Arts, Inc. | Jubilee Mobile Arts and Technology School Bus After-school Program | $5,000 | Kewley, Aimee | Into The Woods: Burncoat Travels to UMass | $1,905 | King, Christopher G | Up cycling Textile Waste to Produce Fabric and Clothing | $5,000 | Kirkpatrick, Patricia | Flower Crown's Summer Cyanotype Workshop Series | $1,700 | L'Esperance, Ashley P. | Songwriter's Concert Series at the Creative Hub | $5,000 | Legendary Legacies, Inc. | Where Legacy Begins | $5,000 | Lipper, Hannah | Ceramic Abacus | $5,000 | Massachusetts Symphony Orchestra, Inc. | An Evening Celebrating Great Latin-American Musical Influences | $5,000 | Mercedes, Elizabeth | SENSORY ART GROUP | $1,000 | Music Worcester, Inc. | Vijay Gupta: breaking boundaries through music | $5,000 | Ortiz, Edmy | Flamenco! Tradition, Art & Passion 2023 | $5,000 | Pakachoag Music School of Greater Worcester, Inc. | Music Matters, for Elm Park After-School | $4,000 | Powers, Deborah | Worcester Knitty Council Committee | $2,100 | Push Worcester | DIY Paint & Skate | $4,500 | Seven Hills Foundation & Affiliates, Inc. | Creative Movement | $4,915 | Shivick, Jane | Jane Shivick, soprano with Olga Rogach, pianist (haven't decided on a title yet) | $5,000 | Studio Theatre Worcester, Inc. | Theatre: Introductory Class Offerings (Studio Theatre Worcester) | $5,000 | The Boys and Girls Club of Worcester, Inc. | Living Exhibit | $5,000 | The Worcester Center for Crafts, Inc. | Community Art | $5,000 | The Worcester Chapter, American Guild of Organists | Italian Organ Recital | $1,400 | Travieso, Sharinna S. | Catch Basin Mural Project | $5,000 | WCUW, Inc. | WCUW's 50th Anniversary Music Series | $3,000 | WICN Public Radio, Inc. | Emerging Artist Series | $5,000 | Wakabayashi, Mihoko | Seed to Fashion | $4,035 | Worcester Area Mission Society United Church of Christ | Summer CUBS: Learning About States of Matter Through Science and Art | $500 | Worcester Art Museum | Southeast Asia Artist-in-Residency Program at WAM | $5,000 | Worcester Caribbean American Carnival Association, Inc. | Worcester Caribbean American Carnival | $5,000 | Worcester Center for Performing Arts, Inc. | The WYSH (Worcester Youth Speak Honestly) Project | $5,000 | Worcester Chamber Music Society, Inc. | Peter and the Wolf and Hansel and Gretel, a free family concert | $5,000 | Worcester Community Cable Access, Inc. | Central Mass Jazz Fest | $5,000 | Worcester County Mechanics Association | Many Voices – Mechanics Hall Youth Singers Spring & Fall Concerts | $5,000 | Worcester County Poetry Association, Inc. | Rain Poetry: A Walk in the Woo | $1,616 | Worcester Public Library Foundation | The WPL Frances Perkins Branch Library Indoor Mural Program | $3,777 |
