West Springfield Cultural Council
West Springfield Cultural Council (WSCC) Mission Statement:
To promote, support, and encourage the arts, humanities and interpretive sciences within the West Springfield community.
Members of WSCC believe that people of all ages need exposure and experiences with the arts, humanities and interpretive sciences. These experiences are nourishment for the body, heart and mind.
Arts involve the creation, presentation and preservation of, and education about works in the following disciplines: Crafts, Design, Folk, Interdisciplinary, Literary, Media, Performing and Visual Arts.
Humanities are branches of learning that deal with self-awareness, language, reason, creativity, human values and aspirations and the products of all of these.
Interpretive Sciences are those activities that engage people of all ages in learning about nature, science and technology in ways that connect directly to their lives.
Contact
West Springfield Arts Council Members
culturalcouncil@tows.org
000-000-0000
https://www.townofwestspringfield.org/artscouncil
Address
Municipal Building
26 Central Street
West Springfield, MA 01089
Application Information
FY26 Allocation
TBD
FY26 Local Priorities
1. A specific date, time (event program running time when applicable), and venue must be confirmed when submitting an application. Include a letter from the venue as confirmation.
2. Programs and field trips that offer free or low cost for attendees.
3. New programming projects from first time applicants are encouraged.
4. Applications from diverse age groups, cultural backgrounds, as well as local institutions and artists.
5. Collaboration and sponsorships among community groups.
6. Programs and/or events that take place in West Springfield.
7. Individuals, Non-profits, and For-profit entities that propose projects that provide public benefit are welcome to submit applications for grant funding.
FY26 Local Guidelines
1. Grant funds may NOT be used to purchase food, refreshments, gifts; or for payment of sales taxes.
2. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires that persons with disabilities have access to public programs or services on an equal basis with the rest of the general public. All events and programs funded by the West Springfield Arts Council must be accessible to persons with disabilities, including the facility or event location as well as the content of the program.
3. Grant recipients must include the required credit line for all West Springfield Arts Council grant funded programs: “This program is financed in part by a grant from the West Springfield Arts Council, a local agency which is funded by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.”
4. Grant recipients must forward their publicity releases to the contacts listed on the West Springfield Arts Council Publicity Toolkit at least TWO WEEKS BEFORE the performance date of the grant funded project. The West Springfield Arts Council Publicity Toolkit is located in the West Springfield Arts Council Webpage Forms Folder.
5. According to IRS guidelines, the grant money is considered taxable income. Grant recipients must keep the award letter and the check stub as a record of the award for taxes.
6. Grant recipients have one year from the date of West Springfield Arts Council Grant Award Letter to submit a request for reimbursement. Failure to meet that deadline will result in the loss of funds. If additional time to complete the project is needed, the grant recipient’s request for an extension must be made in writing, explaining the need for additional time. Grant recipients also need the Council’s written permission to make changes to their projects. Project modifications must be requested in writing, and the modification should not significantly alter the original purpose of the approved application. Extension and modification requests are reviewed on a case-by-case basis and are not automatically granted.
7. Once the grant funded program has been completed, Mail the West Springfield Arts Council Reimbursement form along with all required documentation to: West Springfield Arts Council, 26 Central Street, Municipal Building, West Springfield, MA 01089. The West Springfield Arts Council Grant Reimbursement Form is located in the West Springfield Arts Council Webpage Forms Folder.
8. Grant recipients are also required to complete the federal W-9 form prior to the Town of West Springfield issuing payment of reimbursement form. The federal W-9 form is located online at https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw9.pdf To safeguard the confidential information provided in the W-9 form, mail the completed W-9 form directly to the following address: Town of West Springfield, Attn: Accounts Payable, 26 Central St. Suite 1, West Springfield, MA 01089
9. Reimbursement will typically be made within 6 to 8 weeks from submission of the Reimbursement Form to the West Springfield Arts Council.
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS: Step-by-step instructions on the Application Process – including a sample application form – are posted online: Mass Cultural Council Application Process
How Grant Recipients Are Paid
Reimbursement Grants
FY25 Funding List
| Name | Project Title | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Clay, Sarah | Games People Play | $600 | Comeau, Robert | Ashleyville Cemetery Walking Tour | $120 | Hilltown Families, Inc. | Hilltown Families Suggests | $250 | Kane, Timothy D. | Drums & Strums | $900 | Manning, James J. | Balloons, Books and Magic - A Colorful Reading Adventure | $799 | Memorial School | Eric Carle Workshops at Memorial and John Ashley Schools | $3,500 | Neill, David | Christmas and Holiday Sing along by the Fanfare Brass | $900 | Price, Christine | Think Big, Dream Big, and Go Big | $1,800 | Sevenars Concerts, Inc. | Sevenars 57th Anniversary Season | $500 | Small Planet Dancers | Historical Dance Series | $1,200 | Smith, Trevor | Laugh for the Health of it: Creating healthy Lifestyles through Laughter | $975 | The Theater Project, Inc. | New Voices | $4,560 | West Springfield Boys & Girls Club, Inc. | Slime Time Enrichment Clubs | $3,000 | West Springfield Boys & Girls Club, Inc. | Community Engagement: Art Exhibition & Culture Festival | $3,000 | West Springfield Council on Aging | Crafting with Kristen | $959 | West Springfield Garden Club | 9-11 Memorial Garden | $1,857 | West Springfield Music Parents Association | 2025 West Springfield High School Band and Choir Pops Concert | $925 | West Springfield Parks and Recreation | Santa's House | $1,700 | West Springfield Public Library | Alice in Wonderland: Teapot Collage Workshop | $480 | West Springfield Public Library | Everlasting Herbariums & Botanical Brooms | $1,660 | West Springfield Public Library | Beginner Dance Series | $750 | Witt, Mary | Music for Community | $700 |
