Tommorrow’s session of the Massachusetts Cultural Council Big Hug Tour slated to be held at the Berkshire Museum at 2:00 PM has been postponed due to inclement weather.
The Massachusetts Cultural Council Big Hug Tour is a series of informal gatherings to be held during the week of January 5 - 9, 2009. The Big Hug Tour is an opportunity for all members of the cultural community to brainstorm on how we can work together to promote continued private and public investment in arts and culture in Massachusetts, even as resources are increasingly strained.
Do you have an item you would like to share about the creative economy? Suggest a Post to Berkshire Creative!
Both MASS MoCA and DownStreet Art drew droves of visitors to Berkshire County in 2008.
Scott Stafford, of the Berkshire Eagle, writes:
“About six weeks after opening, the Sol Lewitt exhibit at Mass MoCA is having a robust impact on the museum’s attendance figures, according to MoCA’s marketing director. November’s and December’s figures were up approximately 50 percent above years previous, Katherine Myers said. Specific numbers were not available.” Click here to read the full Berkshire Eagle article!
Here’s what Mayor John Barrett III had to say about DownStreet Art in Jennifer Huberdeau’s recent article:
“It was tremendous. It brought in all those people and it brought them into the downtown…. It’s one of the most successful ventures we’ve seen. It had a really positive impact and created a lot of activity in the downtown. It also helped our economy —the people seemed to enjoy our restaurants and stores.” Click here for more information or click here to read the full article!
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CultureCount is New England’s cultural database, developed by New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA). CultureCount is an online data warehouse containing financial, demographic, geographic, and other information about cultural nonprofits, businesses, and professionals in New England.
CultureCount provides the New England state arts agencies, researchers, cultural organizations, funders, artists, policy makers, and general public with a wealth of research information to support analysis, advocacy, and policy development. It is a geographically coded directory, so it supports a variety of analyses based on geographic area and you can search by location.
CultureCount uses a system of tiered admittance providing varying levels of access to information contained in the database, from free use by the general public and registered users, to data and product subscribers and partners with custom economic impact tools.
CultureCount is ever expanding as for-profit creative industry businesses are added to the present listings of nonprofit cultural organizations and individual artists to encompass the entire creative economy of New England.
CultureCount includes an Impact Calculator, an interactive cultural economic impact analysis tool that demonstrates the economic impact of the nonprofit cultural sector and then estimates how changes in the sector affect a community or region’s employment, income, and property values.
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Following a month of intense fundraising efforts, the Barrington Stage Company has raised the final $100,000 it needed to reach its $1 million goal of 2008.
Hitting that mark by the end of the calendar year means that the BSC’s board of directors will contribute a matching donation of an additional $500,000 toward the nonprofit’s capital campaign. In 2009, Barrington Stage must raise roughly $1.4 million more to complete its $2.9 million capital campaign.
Click here to read the rest of Tony Dobrowolski’s Berkshire Eagle Article!
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New York Times reports on how getting crafty is keeping this section of the economy buoyant!
“Feeling the pinch of the economic downturn, some holiday gift-givers are saving money this year by making their own presents or — for those who lack the time or talent — buying handmade gifts from others.”
“The craft sector, which has about $5.9 billion in annual revenue, is ‘operating in its own little niche,’ said George Van Horn, a senior analyst at IBISWorld, a research firm. ‘The number of establishments is growing.’”Click here to read the full New York Times article!
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Last September the Massachusetts Cultural Facilities Fund awarded Berkshire Theatre Festival $160,000 for renovations, maintenance, repairs, and upgrades to the Main Campus facilities and grounds. Last week the Stockbridge Board of Selectman granted the Berkshire Theatre Festival a permit which will allow them to move forward with planned improvements.
Derek Gentile of the Berkshire Eagle writes: “The BTF is proposing a multi-phased master plan that will connect the east and west campuses of the decades-old theater organization; provide improved lighting and parking and ensure greater pedestrian access.”
Click here to read the full Berkshire Eagle Article!
Do you have an item you would like to share about the creative economy? Suggest a Post to Berkshire Creative!
PERC’s primary purpose is to further the economic development and social welfare of the City of Pittsfield and Berkshire County. Fostering increased employment opportunities and facilitating growth and development of small businesses.
PERC provides direct loans and access to a variety of public loan programs to help businesses that are unable to obtain conventional financing.
PERC offers several programs as assistance to entrepreneurs locating or expanding businesses in Pittsfield and Berkshire County. Each program has project eligibility requirements and most requires a job creation commitment.
Click here to read the full Berkshire Eagle article!
Click here to learn more about PERC!
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The Massachusetts Cultural Council invites all members of the cultural community to participate in its Big Hug Tour, a series of informal gatherings during the week of January 5 - 9, 2009.
The Big Hug Tour will be in the Berkshires at the:
Berkshire Museum
39 South St., Pittsfield, MA
Wednesday, January 7
2:00 PM
Come prepared to share stories and data on how the weakened economy has affected your business, and how you’re responding. Help us brainstorm how we can work together to promote continued private and public investment in arts and culture in Massachusetts, even as resources are increasingly strained.
Please come prepared to discuss changes in:
- Ticket sales/attendance
- Other earned revenue
- Endowment value
- Corporate sponsorship
- Individual giving
Information will not be used for grant review purposes or shared with the public. Eleven meetings will be held statewide, facilitated by MCC staff members. RSVP to Neluka Levy, 617-727-3668 x231 or neluka.levy@art.state.ma.us
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RSYP Receives Grant from the New England Foundation for the Arts
RSYP has received a grant from the NEFA to develop a new stretch of the Housatonic Riverwalk in Great Barrington, which will include a public art installation.
RSYP is seeking artists interested in working with youth to create a new community space.
The selected artist will be awarded $8000 for the project. For more information or to apply, visit NEFA by clicking here!
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Berkshire Enterprises is an affiliated program of Berkshire Community College Life Long Learning Workforce Development. BE’s mission is to aid, encourage, train, nurture and advise entrepreneurs in the development, start-up and management of their businesses. Check out some of the BE resources to help you do better business in the Berkshires.
Berkshire Business Information Center (BBIC)
The BIC, formerly co-sponsored by the US Small Business Administration, is located in the Berkshire Enterprises suite and provides high speed internet service, videos, and a reference library of extensive business resources at no charge to the general public.
The Pittsfield Enterprise Center - A Business Incubator Where Businesses Go to Grow
Berkshire Enterprises administers a small business incubator in downtown Pittsfield. The Pittsfield Enterprise Center offers furnished interim office space for businesses looking for a supportive place to grow, focusing on supporting businesses, providing low cost space, high-speed internet connection, business consulting and shared services. An application process is required for all occupants.
Shared services include: Ongoing consulting, high-speed internet service, shared fax and copy machine, at a moderate cost.
For more information please contact Steve Fogel, Berkshire Enterprises Program Director at sfogel@berkshireenterprises.com or at 413-448-2755.
Do you have an item you would like to share about the creative economy? Suggest a Post to Berkshire Creative!
What is CultureCount?
