Martha's Vineyard Cultural Council
The Martha’s Vineyard Cultural Council is part of the Massachusetts Cultural Council’s Local Cultural Council program, formed more than a quarter century ago. The MVCC’s mission is to promote excellence, access, education, or diversity in the arts, humanities and interpretative sciences for the purpose of improving the quality of life for all of the Island’s residents.
Contact
marthasvineyardculturalcouncil@gmail.com
508-687-4484
Address
1059 State Road
West Tisbury, MA 02575-5003
Connect on Social
Facebook
Instagram
Application Information
FY25 Allocation
$34,200
FY25 Local Priorities
– Grant applicants who are not based on Martha’s Vineyard must include a letter of support from a Martha’s Vineyard partner or host specifically describing how the project would benefit the Island community. If a letter is not included, the project will be ineligible for consideration.
– In addition to the funds allocated by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, the MVCC is funded through the generosity of the six Martha’s Vineyard towns (Aquinnah, Chilmark, Edgartown, Oak Bluffs, Tisbury, and West Tisbury), and its own fundraising efforts.
– Meeting Minutes: https://tinyurl.com/bdevn8dy
FY25 Local Guidelines
– The project promotes excellence, education, and diversity in the arts, humanities, or interpretive sciences for the purpose of improving the quality of life for all the Island’s residents.
– The project is widely accessible to island residents.
– The project addresses an identifiable and relevant interest to the Martha’s Vineyard community.
– The project’s objectives are clearly stated, and the outcomes are realistic and attainable.
– There are qualified, dependable individuals in place to carry out the project to its completion.
– There is a clear plan to promote and market the project to the community.
– The budget is thorough and demonstrates how it can realistically accomplish the project’s funding needs and objectives.
– The project impacts the entire Martha’s Vineyard community to the greatest extent possible.
How Grant Recipients Are Paid
Reimbursement Grants
FY25 Funding List
| Name | Project Title | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Aquinnah Cultural Center, Inc. | Annual Native American Artisans Festival | $2,440 | Bender, Abby L. | Built on Stilts | $4,500 | Bender, Abby L. | Abby Bender Schmantze Theatre | $1,340 | Circuit Arts, Inc. | Live from the Grange | $1,500 | Circuit Arts, Inc. | The Vineyard's Drive-In at the YMCA | $3,500 | Circuit Arts, Inc. | The 25th annual Martha’s Vineyard Film Festival | $3,500 | Edgartown Board of Trade, Inc. | Porchfest Edgartown | $1,500 | Feiffer, Kate | Islanders Write | $1,750 | Felipe, Mabelle | The Weather in Perspective Bilingual Podcast | $750 | Friends of the Edgartown Free Public Library, Inc. | Sounds Like Summer: Music on the Lawn | $2,060 | Friends of the Up Island Council on Aging | Hamilton at the Providence Performing Arts Center | $625 | Great Pond Foundation Inc | Beach Seine Science Days | $750 | Helene Johnson and Dorothy West Foundation for Artists in Need | Heritage Poetry Park | $1,050 | Island Community Chorus, Inc. | Instrumentalists for Island Community Chorus Concerts | $1,500 | Kirn, Roberta | Winter Concert and Community Sings | $1,948 | MVacay | Email Newsletter Spotlighting Arts Organizations + Events on MV | $500 | Martha's Vineyard Agricultural Society | 2025 Harvest Festival | $2,600 | Martha's Vineyard Center for Living, Inc. | Music for a Diverse Island | $3,188 | Martha's Vineyard Cerebral Palsy Camp, Inc. | Camp Jabberwocky Across Martha's Vineyard | $1,600 | Martha's Vineyard Chamber Music Society, Inc. | Artist in Residence Community Engagement Concert | $400 | Martha's Vineyard Diversity Coalition (MVDC) | Black ,Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) Elders Oral History Project of MVDC Education Committee | $3,000 | Martha's Vineyard Film Society, Inc. | 20th Annual Martha's Vineyard International Film Festival (MVIFF) | $880 | Martha's Vineyard Film Society, Inc. | 7th Annual Women In Film Festival (WIFF) | $800 | Martha's Vineyard Playhouse, Inc. | Martha's Vineyard Playhouse Winter Season 2024-25 | $750 | Oak Bluffs Association, Inc. | LGBTQ+ Pride in Oak Bluffs | $2,500 | Plays in Place LLC | The Kittie Knox Plays | $1,250 | Sassafras Earth Education, Inc. | Indigenous Peoples Day Celebration | $900 | TBD Improv Company | TBD Improv 2025 Season - paying our cast! | $1,600 | The Yard, Inc. | Âs Nupumukâunean/We Still Dance developed by Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribal members & Danza Orgánica | $2,601 | Thorp, Lynn | MV Signs Then & Now | $919 | Thorp, Lynn | Basic ASL Course Series ( 24 Lessons) w/MV's historic legacy tidbits | $900 | Town of Tisbury | Traditional Music for Memorial Day Picnic | $188 | Vineyard Haven Harbor Cultural District | First Friday VH | $3,000 | Waterman, Jon | Live Music Making History Live - "Popular Music and Veterans" | $675 | Wilson, Marion | Gold Over Water; Rivers Into Washing Machines | $1,213 | Witham, Elizabeth M. | Species in Focus: The Biodiversity of Martha's Vineyard in 4K | $1,875 |
