Arlington Commission for Arts and Culture Grants Committee
The Arlington Commission for Arts and Culture (ACAC) Grants Commitee, formerly the Arlington Cultural Council, supports public programs in our community that promote access, education, diversity, and excellence in the arts, humanities and the interpretive sciences. Members of the committee are artists, arts administrators, and other community members with an interest in the arts, humanities, and interpretive sciences. We are volunteers appointed by the Arlington Select Board for up to two consecutive three-year terms. We are committed to funding a diverse cross-section of activities supporting a broad variety of art forms, ongoing work of individual artists, projects serving specific local populations, and local cultural organizations. Meetings are held monthly and are open to the public, with dates posted on the Town website.
Contact
ACCChair@town.arlington.ma.us
781-316-3020
Address
Select Board's Office, Town Hall
730 Massachusetts Avenue
Arlington, MA 02476-4908
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Application Information
FY26 Allocation
TBD
FY26 Local Priorities
The activity is open to the broadest possible range of Arlington residents.
Arlington-based artists or cultural organizations are leaders of the project.
The project is planned in collaboration with other Arlington-based groups, agencies, organizations, and businesses.
The proposal demonstrates other sources of financial support or matching funds.
Under-utilized or non-traditional venues are activated.
Outreach includes minority populations.
The project elevates the voices and experiences of historically marginalized groups.
The project recognizes the 250th anniversary of the start of the American Revolutionary War and Arlington’s important historic role in these events potentially including modern and/or critical perspectives.
FY26 Local Guidelines
The Grants Committee of the Arlington Commission for Arts and Culture offers grants annually that typically range from $150 to $1500 to fund arts, humanities and sciences programs benefiting the community of Arlington. Organizations, agencies, schools, non-profits, libraries and individuals may apply for grants that support activities in culture, humanities, arts, and sciences benefiting the Arlington community. All applicants must reside or be located in Massachusetts.
An Arts and Culture grant can be used for many purposes in Arlington, such as:
Using music or art to bring people together, particularly historically marginalized groups
Activating, elevating, or engaging youth through open mic nights, poetry readings, or storytelling events
Creating an experiential program that brings interpretive science or history to life for a diverse audience
Completing a public art installation, a musical composition, or theatrical performance
Creating or enhancing an arts program addressing systemic racism, social or environmental justice, or cultural inclusion
Supporting visual or musical artists whose work defies categorization and is experimental in nature
Explores the historical significance of Arlington in the American Revolutionary War
What are the grant requirements?
The program must involve the arts, humanities, science, or American history.
The program must have a public benefit for Arlington residents.
The proposed project cannot discriminate on the basis of age, ability, ethnicity, race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, nationality, geographic origin; or immigration, military or socio-economic status.
Approved projects must take place between January 1, 2025 and be completed by December 31, 2025.
What makes a good application?
Each year the Grants Committee typically receives grant requests totaling about twice the funds we have available. Therefore we look for proposals that are thoroughly prepared:
Identify the Arlington location where the event(s) will take place and include confirmations from the venue host.
Provide dates and times, including duration of program.
Budget: Include all costs and in-kind donations (i.e. free use of space or donated services) in your budget statement. Include all expenses including space rental, project supplies, marketing and fees.
If permits (e.g., permission from the Town to utilize a public park) are needed for your proposal please identify where you are in the permitting process. While applicants do not need to acquire permits for the application submission, it is highly recommended to begin the planning process.
If outreach and/or collaboration (e.g., working with a school system) is needed for your proposal, please identify what has been done and cite any related agreements.
Is succinct and clear, and includes up to three printable pages of supplemental information in PDF format, per MCC guidelines. (Note that including more than three pages of supplemental information may disqualify an application.)
How Grant Recipients Are Paid
Direct Grants
FY25 Funding List
| Name | Project Title | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Arlington Center for the Arts, Inc. | Perspectives on the Semiquincentennial: A Year-long Series of Exhibits at ACA | $1,500 | Arlington Commission for Arts and Culture | Arlington Timeline | $1,500 | Arlington Housing Authority | Free Arts Programming for Arlington Housing Authority Tenants | $1,000 | Arlington Jazz Festival, Inc. | Open Jazz Jam Session Series | $1,007 | Arlington Public Schools Visual Arts Department | Arlington 250 Revolution Youth Banners Project | $1,800 | Belmont World Film, Inc. | Belmont World Film's 22nd Family Festival | $1,000 | Bloom, Jacob | Arlington Community Barn Dance | $1,400 | Cantilena, Inc. | Maternal Figures: Reflections on Mothering and Being Mothered | $750 | Cyrus E. Dallin Art Museum, Inc. | Creation of Indigenous Beadwork Inspired by Cyrus Dallin's Paul Revere Statue | $750 | Daniel, Don | The Just A Minute Festival | $250 | Dreeben, Jill | With Each Breath: Concert for Flute and Piano | $1,000 | Ingram, Jennifer | Food for Thought | $300 | Kalliope Reed Quintet | Música de México y Memorias | $1,000 | Olga's List Inc | The Stories in Flight (human migration stories) | $1,500 | Philharmonic Society of Arlington, Inc. | Phiharmonic Society of Arlington Pops Concert and Strawberry Festival | $1,000 | Sanchez, Laura | Experience Flamenco in Arlington | $750 | Sharing A New Song Inc | Bajo el Mismo Cielo (Under the Same Sky): Sharing A New Song in Concert with New Inca Son | $1,500 | Singh, Parmit Kumar | Global Voices in Verse: Celebrating Global Poets | $300 | The Boston New Music Initiative, Inc. | BNMI’s 15th Anniversary Guerilla Concerts | $150 | The Concord Chorus, Inc. | Concord250 Concord Chorus Concert Season | $500 | Tincknell, Roger L. | From Ireland to America | $300 | Town of Arlington | Passages: Visual Journaling for those Affected by Addiction | $1,200 | True Story, Inc. | Living in Arlington - Voices Across Class Differences | $1,500 |
