Pittsfield Cultural Council
With funding from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, the Pittsfield Cultural Council (PCC) provides grants to help underwrite projects, programs, and events in the arts, humanities, and interpretive sciences. We are committed to supporting the work of local artists, cultural institutions, and schools, as well as the work of community members who identify as Black, Indigenous, POC, LGBTQX, refugees, immigrants, or people living with disabilities. Our ultimate goal is sustaining and enriching the diverse creative community of the city of Pittsfield, with a focus on making cultural activities accessible and engaging to all.
Contact
Marilyn Gerhard
pittsfieldculture@yahoo.com
413-442-6120
Address
PO Box 1192
70 Allen Street
Pittsfield, MA 01201-6250
Application Information
FY26 Allocation
$50,500
FY26 Local Priorities
The Pittsfield Cultural Council gathers input yearly from the community and develops funding priorities based on the feedback received. In the 2026 cycle, the Pittsfield Cultural Council will give priority to:
1) Projects planned by Pittsfield artists or organizations.
2) Projects with a direct benefit to Pittsfield residents.
3) Projects that are accessible for free or at minimal cost to community members.
4) Projects that promote community engagement and cohesion.
5) Projects that reach diverse audiences, especially audiences that do not usually benefit from cultural or artistic offerings.
6) Emerging or independent Pittsfield projects that have a goal of promoting new growth in the arts, sciences, or humanities.
7) Projects for which a thorough and complete budget has been presented with the inclusion of all other funding sources.
FY26 Local Guidelines
1) A resume (for an individual) and/or statement (for an organization), detailing the applicant’s qualifications must be included with the application.
2) Slides, photographs, and other materials submitted with the application will not be returned unless accompanied by a self-addressed and stamped envelope.
3) The project location (performance venue/gallery space, etc.) and the date of the event must be secured in advance of the application; if appropriate, a letter of support from the site manager or sponsor must be included in the application.
4) Any change to the project after approval of the original grant application must be submitted in writing (e-mail is acceptable) and approved by the Pittsfield Cultural Council in advance of those changes.
5) The Pittsfield Cultural Council and Massachusetts Cultural Council logos must be used in all advertising/ promotional materials such as posters, advertisements, and program booklets. Grantees who fail to do so may be ineligible to receive subsequent funding. You may Google “Pittsfield Cultural Council logo” to find the image. The MCC logo is also readily available online.
6) Grantees who do not submit the required final reports may also be ineligible for subsequent funding. The final report lets the council members know that the project was actually presented.
7) Applicants will not be funded for more than three consecutive years, after which the applicant must wait one year before re-applying.
8) Only one application will be considered from any individual or organization within each grant cycle.
9) The PCC does not fund fund-raising projects or grant scholarship requests.
10) All venues must be handicapped-accessible. Consideration should be made to present programs in accessible locations near bus stops, for example, for those community members who do not have personal transportation.
11) Funding for each grant is at the discretion of a quorum of council members. Applicants should understand that the council members will make every effort to provide funding to every worthy application, but not necessarily at the full amount requested by the applicant.
How Grant Recipients Are Paid
Direct Grants
FY25 Funding List
| Name | Project Title | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Arts in Recovery for Youth | AIRY Expansion Project | $2,000 | Barrington Stage Company, Inc. | Devised Theatre Ensemble | $1,000 | Bates III, Davis R. | Celebrating the Season: Spring & Fathers' Day | $500 | Berkshire Children's Chorus, Inc. | We are the Music Makers: Celebrating 35 of years of Berkshire Children’s Chorus! | $1,000 | Berkshire Community College | Unmuting (Interpretive Dance Performance) | $2,500 | Berkshire Concert Choir, Inc. | Fall/Winter Concert Season 2024-2025: "Hope Unfolding" | $1,500 | Berkshire County Historical Society, Inc. | 200th Anniversary of Lafayette's Tour | $1,000 | Berkshire Hills Chorus Chapter of Sweet Adelines International | Bringing Barbershop Music to Senior Living Facilities | $1,000 | Berkshire Lyric Theatre, Inc. | Educational Programs and Concerts | $1,000 | Berkshire Music School, Inc. | Pay-What-You-Wish Community Group Classes | $2,290 | Berkshire Opera Festival, Inc. | 10th Anniversary Concert Rebroadcast Event | $1,500 | Berkshire Pulse, Inc. | Funk Box Breaking and Hip Hop Residency in the 21st Century Afterschool Program for Elementary Students in Pittsfield Public Schools | $1,500 | Bruno, Roger | A Celebration of Song - The Great American Songbook and Beyond | $700 | Downtown Pittsfield Cultural Association, Inc. | Pittsfield Community Design Center “Cultural Crosswalk” Painting | $1,000 | Downtown Pittsfield, Inc. | Art Exhibitions at Framework by Downtown Pittsfield, Inc. | $1,000 | Guenette, David | The Future of Climate Change in the Berkshires | $212 | Herzog, Jenny | Pittsfield Freedom Project | $2,000 | IS183, Inc. | Visual Arts Programming for the Pittsfield Adult Learning Center | $1,000 | Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, Inc. | Jacob’s Pillow On The Road and Community Workshops | $2,000 | Kids 4 Harmony | Kids 4 Harmony | $2,500 | Knesset Israel Synagogue | Berkshire Jewish Film Festival | $2,290 | Latinas413 | Latinas 413 Bilingual Makerspace | $1,000 | Let it Shine! Public Art Partnership | Let it Shine! Public Art Partnership | $2,000 | MUSIC Dance.edu | Hip Hop Chair Dance for Seniors! - a dance series | $600 | Roots Rising, Inc. | Pittsfield Farmers Market | $1,500 | Sinopoli, Michael | Diamond in the Rough The Wahconah Park Story | $500 | Small Planet Dancers | Wassail! A Victorian Holiday | $600 | Spatz, Lawrence | Concert at Berkshire Music School | $450 | Tamarack Hollow Nature and Cultural Center, Inc. | Celebrate Malinke Culture from Guinea: Drum, song and culture w/ master artist Bolokada Conde | $1,000 | The Stockbridge Sinfonia, Inc. | The Stockbridge Sinfonia Summer Concert Series | $1,500 | Tobin McCauley, Jesse | Public Art Guided Walking Tour | $1,500 | Triplex Cinema, Inc. | TILL | $1,500 | Trustees of the Berkshire Museum | Free Evening at the Museum During the 2024 Festival of Trees | $1,500 | Tupper, Lara | How to Face Writer’s Block | $400 | Upstreet Cultural District | 10x10 Upstreet Arts Festival Ice Sculpting | $1,500 | Westside Legends | The 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment | $3,000 |
Review Complete LCC Program Guidelines
