Chelsea Cultural Council
The Chelsea Cultural Council (CCC) is a volunteer board. They consist of artists, arts administrators, and other community members interested in local public arts and cultural programming. Council members encourage culture and diversity in the City of Chelsea by funding projects in the arts, humanities, and sciences. The CCC places an emphasis on locally-based artists and programs that have the greatest impact on the Chelsea community. Meetings are held on the fourth Tuesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. and are open to the public.
2025 Board Members
William Kaufman, Chair
Armando Rivera, Vice Chair
Bryan Tyler, Secretary
Towana Deann Wright
Lilly Darr
Contact
culturalcouncil@chelseama.gov
617-466-4103
https://www.chelseama.gov/ccc
Address
500 Broadway
Room 302
Chelsea, MA 02150-2948
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Application Information
FY26 Allocation
$40,600
FY26 Local Priorities
In the FY26 Grant circle, the Chelsea Cultural Council seeks to support projects that:
1. Reflect the rich diversity of cultures in Chelsea’s past, present, and future.
2. Demonstrate measurable impact through both the quality of the project and the number of community members it reaches.
3. This year special consideration is being given to projects that promote inclusivity and being dedicated to historically unrepresented groups, including but not limited, to veterans, seniors, and people with disabilities.
FY26 Local Guidelines
Grants are available to Massachusetts-based individuals, artists, non-profits, community groups, cultural institutions, public agencies, and schools with a connection activity related to the arts, humanities, or sciences.
Projects must take place in Chelsea or be directly intended for Chelsea residents, including virtual activities, between January 1, 2026 and December 31, 2026.
Activities funded through LCC grants should be made available to the public through exhibits, performances, demonstrations, public art, workshops, festivals, and events, including but not limited to street fairs, art shows, community events, film series, murals, and public art installations. Ideally, these activities should ensure the full participation and integration of people with disabilities.
Field Trips: The grant funds cultural field trips for children in grades Pre-Kindergarten through 12 by subsidizing the cost of admission to attend programs in the arts, humanities, and sciences.
Each application is reviewed based on the following four elements. The first three are required across all LCCs*. (*For more information, consult the LCC Guidelines at https://massculturalcouncil.org/documents/lccguidelines.pdf )
1. Arts, Humanities, and Sciences
2. Public Benefit
3. Non-Discrimination
4. Local Guidelines & Priorities to be described below.
FY26 Local Guidelines
1. Applicants can request funds up to $5,000.
NOTE: For FY26, the LCC has received $40,600. Because of the large number of requests and the limited funds available, not all applications can be fully, or even partially, funded.
2. Applicants must submit an itemized total budget, which clearly aligns with the goals of the project.
a. Applicants are encouraged to submit estimates for items of the proposed budget.
b. Projects whose budgets exceed the grant limits are welcome to apply to fund a specific activity within the project. In these cases, please provide a description for the specific request, and highlight the total impact of the project.
3. Because the CCC is always making an effort to fund new projects, applicants who have received funds in the past should demonstrate how their project will grow in impact (i.e. target audience, participants, content, etc.)
4. Applicants should be able to demonstrate their capacity to execute the proposed project (i.e. a portfolio and/or proof of related work, testimonial and/or reviews, press Images and/or videos that demonstrate previous outcomes).
a. Letters of support from City Officials, organizations, and project partners are strongly encouraged.
Note: The Chelsea Cultural Council encourages applicants to seek funding from additional sources, as local council funding is not intended to serve as the sole source of support for projects of a continuing nature. For a list of other funding sources, contact: culturalcouncil@chelseama.gov
5. The submission of preliminary details on the project execution plan and backup documentation are strongly recommended.
– Artist commitment and/or Proof of Contractors (Including, but not limited to artists, performers, and vendors).
– For Events:
Proof of Venue: Applicants must obtain a letter from the venue’s management stating that venue management agrees to allow the applicant to use the space for the event on the date(s) intended. The letter must be on official letterhead, include a current date with signature and be submitted with the application.
For events held in the public space, an special event permitting process should be done with at least 45 days in advance of the date of the event.
– Public Art: Public art projects must have written permission from the property owners. If you are applying for any project that requires permits and permissions to use a public space, you must contact the Arts and Culture Manager prior to submitting your application.
Download the full guidelines document at https://www.chelseama.gov/government/boards___commission/cultural_council/local_cultural_council_grant.php
How Grant Recipients Are Paid
Direct Grants
FY25 Funding List
| Name | Project Title | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Browne, Kyle | Wisdom of the Elders | $2,000 | Chelsea Black Community, Inc. | Chelsea Black History Heritage Walking Tour | $2,500 | Chelsea Black Community, Inc. | Black History Month Events | $1,010 | Chelsea Collaborative, Inc. | Empowering BIPOC Youth Through Artistic Expression and Cultural Heritage | $2,000 | Chelsea Public Library | Level Up at Your Library | $3,000 | Chelsea Public Schools | First Light Foundation Classroom Programs | $2,750 | Congregation Agudath Sholom of Chelsea | Shared Legacies: American Lessons of Black/Jewish Cooperation | $2,500 | Friends of Mary O'Malley Park LLC | Kite Festival | $1,010 | Jukebox Event LLC | Chelsea HiFi Listening Bar | $2,200 | MetaMovements LLC | Chelsea Salsa In The Park | $3,000 | People's African Methodist Episcopal Church | Celebrating the Legacy of MLK, Jr. | $2,000 | Pham, Windy | Celebrating Asian Culture through Educational Workshops for Children | $1,600 | Romero Hernandez, Vicenta Del Carmen | Grupo Torogoz - 2025 Folkloric Dance Performance | $2,750 | Rovner, Ellen | Chelsea, the Jewish Years | $2,750 | The Vilna Shul, Boston's Center for Jewish Culture, Inc. | Be the Change Justice Inspired Public Art | $2,000 | TheatreZone, Inc. | Apollinaire in the Park 2025 | $2,750 | Veronica Robles Cultural Center Corp. | Dia de Muertos Community Altar | $2,750 | Zabot, Devra | Chelsea Spoke Word Series - Working Title | $1,240 |
Review Complete LCC Program Guidelines
