Cambridge Arts Council
Cambridge Arts Council is a city agency that funds, promotes, and presents high-quality, community-based arts programming for the benefit of artists, residents, employees, and visitors in Cambridge, MA. As one of the oldest and most dynamic arts agencies in the country, Cambridge Arts fosters opportunities to recognize, celebrate, and support artists and artmaking reflective of the diverse populations in the city. Operating with funding from local and state government, private foundations, corporate sponsors, and individual donors, Cambridge Arts delivers on its mission by fulfilling three primary roles:
Connector: Through partnerships with artists, presenters, donors and audiences, the agency operates as a vital cultural presence in the region. From connecting local youth with professional teaching artists to securing performance space for both emerging and established ensembles and introducing residents to local artists through Cambridge Open Studios, Cambridge Arts links people and resources from across the artistic spectrum to spark innovative collaboration.
Presenter: In addition to exhibitions and educational programming presented in the Cambridge Arts Space, Cambridge Arts stages high-profile events such as the Cambridge Arts River Festival, a signature city celebration and regional event. The festival features a wide array of music, dance, theater and visual art and attracts a robust audience of close to 200,000 visitors annually.
Funder: Through the Cambridge Arts Grant Program, Cambridge Arts awards dozens of financial grants each year in support of high-quality, community-based art projects representing all artistic disciplines.
*** View our Local Council Grant Guidelines here: https://www.cambridgema.gov/arts/Programs/Grants/howtoapplyforgrants
All local guidelines and requirements MUST be completed IN ADDITION TO the state application.***
To learn more about Cambridge Arts and our programs visit: http://www.cambridgeartscouncil.org
Contact
Jason Weeks, Executive Director
[email protected]
617-349-4380
https://www.cambridgema.gov/arts/
Address
344 Broadway
2nd Floor
Cambridge, MA 02139-1701
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Application Information
FY26 Allocation
$34,300
FY26 Local Priorities
Additional information on Cambridge Arts Council grantmaking priorities can be found at: https://www.cambridgema.gov/arts/Programs/Grants
FY26 Local Guidelines
Cambridge Arts awards funding to individuals, creative partnerships, and local organizations to support high-quality artistic projects that provide direct engagement and benefit to residents and visitors in Cambridge. Grants are awarded in four categories, including: Organizational Investment, Art For Social Justice, Local Cultural Council Project Grants, and Field Trip grants, which provide low-cost opportunities for youth to attend and experience professional art organizations and productions.
Applications submitted to the Cambridge Arts Grant Program are reviewed by community-based panels comprised of artists, arts professionals, and desiccated citizens that guide the decision-making process for how funding is used within the community.
How Grant Recipients Are Paid
Direct Grants
FY26 Funding List
| Name | Project Title | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Adam Theater Inc. | The Flood | $5,000 | All Things Dance Boston | The Bridge Vol 4 | $5,000 | Boston City Singers, Inc. | Songs We Share | $5,000 | Boston Festival Orchestra, Inc. | A Celebration of AAPI Heritage Through Music | $2,000 | Cambridge Youth Gamelan | Lagu Pengantar Tidur Bali: Balinese Lullabies & Their Stories | $5,000 | Charles River Conservancy, Inc. | Graffiti Artist-in-Residence Program at the Lynch Family Skatepark | $5,000 | Comstock, Kendra | 5th Annual Worlds Collide Showcase | $1,000 | Dance in the Schools LLC | Dance in the Schools 2026 | $4,500 | East End House, Inc. | Beauty and the Beast | $5,000 | Greaves, Keisha | GCR Fashion Show | $5,000 | Harvard Museums of Science & Culture | ¡Celebremos! 2026 | $5,000 | Izuyama, Yumi | The Forest Is the Lover of the Sea | $1,850 | Li, Zhonghe (Elena) | Lanterns Between Moon and River | $5,000 | Liars & Believers, Inc. | The End is Nigh | $5,000 | Longy School of Music of Bard College | Side-by-Side Orchestra | $5,000 | New England Hong Kong Festival | Hong Kong Night 2026 | $4,000 | Opera on Tap Boston | Shakespeare of Harlem Project & International Folk Song Project | $3,890 | Pham, Windy | Voices of Heritage: AAPI Art & Education Workshop | $1,000 | Soca Fusion LLC | Community Dance Classes | $5,000 | The Celebrity Series of Boston, Inc. | Neighborhood Arts Clarinet Weekend | $2,500 | The Space Consortium, Inc. | Space Science Outreach for Cambridge Youth: Exploring Astronomy & Planetary Defense | $5,000 | World of Chibuzo | The Art of Dununs | $5,000 |