Grants Archive

Three Berkshire Programs Awarded Adams Grants!

Published: February 12, 2010Posted in: FEATURES 1, LOCAL NEWS, NEWS BULLETIN, STATE NEWSTags: , , , , , , ,
Three Berkshire Programs Awarded Adams Grants!

The Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC) announces release of more than $700,000 in grants to stimulate new economic activity, job creation, and  community revitalization through arts and cultural projects across the state.

The MCC’s Adams Arts Program for the Creative Economy will invest in 27 projects in every region of Massachusetts, including the Berkshires’:

Assets for Artists, North Adams*
The project provides an innovative set of tools to enable artists of all disciplines to advance entrepreneurially and financially through financial education, microenterprise training, home ownership assistance, and access to capital.

Berkshire Cultural Resource Center, North Adams
The Berkshire Cultural Resource Center provides resources, training, and support that: bring a creative class of people to the Berkshires; provide work opportunities in the creative sector for young adults currently living in the region; and support the existing creative class of artists and arts organizations in the county.

Cultural Pittsfield
Cultural Pittsfield is a campaign to support and grow the creative economy in Pittsfield through collaborative marketing and technical assistance, with a focus on seed funding and support for new entrepreneurial initiatives and events; and to provide networking and professional development opportunities for artists and creative workers.

Adams is the oldest and most-far reaching program of its kind in the nation, supporting projects that harness the unique assets of the Commonwealth and the creativity of its residents. Adams grants fuel a creative sector that has a $4.2 billion total impact on the state’s economy and provides more than 109,000 jobs.

“I am delighted to see the results of our ongoing investments,” said Senate President Therese Murray of Plymouth at a State House announcement this morning. She cited Adams-funded projects such as Harbor Your Arts! in Hyannis, which “helped local artists generate $121,000 in sales in one year.”

“The creative sector is a proven engine for economic development and revitalization,” said Anita Walker, the MCC’s executive director. “This year’s Adams grants will generate real dollars for these communities at a time when innovative strategies to produce wealth and create jobs are sorely needed.”

MCC’s Adams grants will:

  • Promote cultural tourism in the Pioneer Valley through Museums 10, a cross-promotional effort by seven college museums and galleries and three independent museums in the region. The partners are collaborating on a joint themed exhibition, Table for 10: The Art, Science and History of Food, which will bring together several sectors of the local economy: artists and artisans, small farmers, restaurants and inns, food writers, and food aficionados.
  • Invest in the Gateway Cities: New Bedford, Pittsfield, Fitchburg, Worcester, and Leominster through a range of strategies to generate new, arts-based commercial activity in downtown districts.
  • Create opportunities for Massachusetts artists to compete in the global arena with Transcultural Exchange, which includes a biennial conference that has resulted in hundreds of local artists finding jobs and residencies worldwide, and draws visitors from as far away as Mongolia and Nigeria.
  • Reinvest in the Cambridge Science Festival, a project of the MIT Museum that attracts 30,000 annually to the Greater Boston area, and estimates annual visitor spending at $652,000.

“These grants will help connect our region’s natural beauty with local businesses and tourist services,” said Senator Stephen Brewer (D-Barre), whose district is home to the North Quabbin Woods Arts and Culture Portal, which uses the work of local artisans to drive ecotourism in the North Quabbin Woods region. “I am proud to support these important cultural grants that will help increase economic sustainability for our district and promote the connection between ecotourism, arts, and culture.”

Click here to see the full list of Adams grants!

*Berkshire Creative Partner Initiative

Do you have an item you would like to share about the creative economy? Suggest a Post to Berkshire Creative!

New York Foundation for the Arts

Published: January 11, 2010Posted in: FEATURES 1, RESOURCESTags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
New York Foundation for the Arts

The New York Foundation for the Arts’ mission is to empower artists at critical stages in their creative lives. NYFA offers resources for artists, art organizations, and those working in the arts related fields.

NYFA’s mission starts with individual artists in the visual, media, performing and literary arts. Their site offers access to a comprehensive list of resources for artists in the nation, including financial, educational, technological, and institutional resources and information such as  jobs in the arts, opportunities & services for artists, event Listings, learning workshops, business of art articles, information for for teaching artists, fellowships, fiscal sponsorships, and more.

NYFA’s Arts Advocacy section regularly provides up-to-date listings of select arts advocacy issues at the local, state, and federal levels. These listings are for current legislation efforts, which if approved will have a direct impact on artists and arts workers across the country.

NYFA also provides information on the management of small and mid-sized organizations that serve the needs of artists including resources for management assistance and fundraising on the web, marketing and public relations, as well as an annotated  list of nonprofit management & staffing resources list.

Click here to learn more!

Do you have an item you would like to share about the creative economy? Suggest a Post to Berkshire Creative!

FROM ARTS AMERICA…NEA AWARDS GRANTS TO SIX BERKSHIRE CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS

Published: December 22, 2009Posted in: FEATURES 1, LOCAL NEWS, NEWS BULLETINTags: , , , , , , , ,
FROM ARTS AMERICA…NEA AWARDS GRANTS TO SIX BERKSHIRE CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS

Both the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) have completed a new round of funding. The NEA has selected six organizations in the Berkshires, while the NEH looked, but came up empty.

As might be expected, large, well known Berkshire based organizations like Tanglewood, Jacob’s Pillow and The Clark Art Institute were among those blessed, and so was the feisty Barrington Stage Company – for its Musical Theatre Lab project. It runs each summer under the watchful eye of composer William Finn (he of Spelling Bee fame).

But two smaller, literary organizations were also selected, the Orion Society based in Great Barrington, and the Tupelo Press, recently arrived in North Adams and headquartered at the Eclipse Mill. While the Berkshires have long been home to visual and performing artists, the tradition of literary lights living here is also well established, going back to Herman Melville whose home in Pittsfield was named Arrowhead and Nathaniel Hawthorne who had a small cottage in Lenox.

The NEA grants were made under the Access to Artistic Excellence program and chosen from more than 1,600 applications. Access grants “support the creation and presentation of work in the disciplines of dance, design, folk and traditional arts, literature, media arts, museums, music, musical theater, opera, presenting, theater, and visual arts.”

Click here to read the full storyon Arts America!

Cultural Investment Portfolio Site Visits Begin

Published: November 16, 2009Posted in: FEATURES 1, NEWS BULLETIN, STATE NEWSTags: ,
Cultural Investment Portfolio Site Visits Begin

Cultural Investment Portfolio takes a fresh approach to unrestricted funding for nonprofit arts, humanities, and interpretive science organizations in Massachusetts. This program replaces the Organizational Support Program and will be in effect for the fiscal year 2011 cycle.

The primary purpose of MCC’s Cultural Investment Portfolio is to strengthen the cultural sector as a whole. Organizations all over the Commonwealth participated in its design by attending focus groups and sharing what worked and what didn’t work about the old program. Instead of application narratives and panel reviews that focused on artistic quality, the new program will rely on a comprehensive site visit and focus on organizations’ public value.

Site visits will enable an open dialogue among stakeholders, create opportunities for networking across the sector, and encourage cultural leaders to advocate for increased investment at the state level. Participating organizations will receive access to the Cultural Data Project, a dynamic statewide, web-based tool that allows you to track trends in the field, gauge your performance within that field, and better plan for your organization’s future.

Site visits will begin with partner organizations Artworks! in New Bedford and Community Music School in Springfield. The visits will bring together a range of stakeholders to engage in an honest conversation about the challenges and opportunities facing each organization.

As a reminder, CIP Partners and Colleagues must complete a Massachusetts Cultural Data Project profile by December 4. The Worcester Telegram & Gazette recently published an editorial praising the Cultural Investment Portfolio and Cultura Data Project for “helping the arts community do a better job of telling their stories and meeting their missions in the years ahead.”

The Cultural Investment Portfolio is not a traditional grant program, but a partnership that will better position the cultural sector as vital components of Massachusetts’ economy and the quality of life of our citizens.

Do you have an item you would like to share about the creative economy? Suggest a Post to Berkshire Creative!

State Invests $177,375 in Cultural Facilities

Published: November 15, 2009Posted in: FEATURES 1, LOCAL NEWS, NEWS BULLETIN, STATE NEWSTags: , , ,
State Invests $177,375 in Cultural Facilities

MassDevelopment and the Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC) announced today that nine organizations across Massachusetts will receive feasibility and technical assistance grants from the Commonwealth’s Cultural Facilities Fund (CFF), totaling $177,375.

Awards from the fund, a program that MassDevelopment and the MCC administer jointly, will support Massachusetts nonprofit cultural organizations in increasing tourism, creating new jobs, leveraging private funding, and expanding arts and cultural activities in communities across the state.

“The creative economy is vital to Massachusetts,” said MassDevelopment President/CEO and CFF Advisory Committee Chair Robert L. Culver. “These organizations attract visitors to Massachusetts, and each institution offers unique and stimulating activities for residents. Investing in the maintenance and improvement plans of cultural facilities represents an intelligent investment in the Commonwealth.”

Recipients are located in Chelmsford, Franklin, Lynn, Pittsfield, Provincetown, Somerville, Wellfleet, Worcester, and Yarmouth. Awards include $37,500 for the Wellfleet Preservation Hall and $26,250 for the Lynn Memorial Auditorium.

Read more about the new grants.

Read more about the future of the Cultural Facilities Fund.

Do you have an item you would like to share about the creative economy? Suggest a Post to Berkshire Creative!

Olver, NEFA and MCC Announce Arts Stimulus at Norman Rockwell Museum

Published: September 23, 2009Posted in: FEATURES 1, LOCAL NEWS, NEWS BULLETIN, STATE NEWSTags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Olver, NEFA and MCC Announce Arts Stimulus at Norman Rockwell Museum

The Berkshire Eagle reports:”Cultural institutions play a crucial role in the economy of the Berkshires, and artistic and legislative leaders from across the state gathered at the Norman Rockwell Museum on Friday to announce an influx of funding to help through these tough economic times. U.S. Rep. John W. Olver, D-Amherst, and a collection of speakers announced that $1.3 million in federal economic stimulus funds have been awarded to nonprofit arts organizations in Massachusetts. The funds are administered by the National Endowment for the Arts, which received $50 million in appropriations through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.”

“I wish we could do 10 time as much,” Olver said.

Locally, the NEA awarded $50,000 grants to the Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival in Becket, the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art Foundation in North Adams, and the Rockwell Museum.

The Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC) awarded $10,000 stimulus grants to The Berkshire Museum in Pittsfield, the Berkshire Theatre Festival in Stockbridge and Shakespeare & Company in Lenox. The Colonial Theatre Association in Pittsfield received a $4,500 grant from the New England Foundation for the Arts.

Click here to read the full Berkshire Eagle article!

Click here to view the full list  of recipients!

Do you have an item you would like to share about the creative economy? Suggest a Post to Berkshire Creative!

From the Berkshire Eagle

Published: September 22, 2009Posted in: NEWS BULLETIN, News ArticleTags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
From the Berkshire Eagle

The arts get a reward

By Trevor Jones

Saturday, September  19, 2009

STOCKBRIDGE — Cultural institutions play a crucial role in the economy of the Berkshires, and artistic and legislative leaders from across the state gathered at the Norman Rockwell Museum on Friday to announce an influx of funding to help through these tough economic times. U.S. Rep. John W. Olver, D-Amherst, and a collection of speakers announced that $1.3 million in federal economic stimulus funds have been awarded to nonprofit arts organizations in Massachusetts. The funds are administered by the National Endowment for the Arts, which received $50 million in appropriations through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

“I wish we could do 10 time as much,” Olver said.

Locally, the NEA awarded $50,000 grants to the Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival in Becket, the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art Foundation in North Adams, and the Rockwell Museum.

The Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC) awarded $10,000 stimulus grants to The Berkshire Museum in Pittsfield, the Berkshire Theatre Festival in Stockbridge and Shakespeare & Company in Lenox. The Colonial Theatre Association in Pittsfield received a $4,500 grant from the New England Foundation for the Arts.

“We would not be able to present this collection and share it with the nation,” without the NEA and MCC funding, said Rockwell Museum CEO Laurie Norton Moffatt.

Moffatt said the funding for the Rockwell Museum will be used to maintain current staffing levels, help create a scholarship program, and allow online availability to the museum’s catalog.

A recent MCC survey found that nearly half of the arts organizations that receive state funding have laid off at least one employee since the start of the economic recession. Many others have either reduced salaries, cut workers’ hours, or are implementing hiring freezes.

MCC Executive Director Anita Walker said nonprofit arts organizations are important because they enrich communities and transform lives. She said the stimulus funding acknowledges the importance of their work.

“This was an amazing moment, because the money had impact,” said Walker of the inclusion of NEA funding in the stimulus bill. “It confirmed that these are real jobs that matter in America.”

Olver joked about the proportion of funds going to the Berkshires and not to the other areas in his district. But he said the creative economy plays a crucial role in Berkshire County.

“You have the venues, and they interconnect so well,” he said.

Moffatt said the funds will not only aid the art institutions, but the greater community as well.

“We’re keeping employees not only at the Norman Rockwell Museum, but employees through the restaurants, hotels, banks and all the beneficiaries of a robust creative economy,” said Moffatt.

Click here  to visit the Berkshire Eagle online and learn more about what is happening in Berkshires and beyond!

State Budget Cuts Prompts Cuts MCC Programs and Staff

Published: September 15, 2009Posted in: FEATURES 1, NEWS BULLETIN, STATE NEWSTags: , , , ,
State Budget Cuts Prompts Cuts MCC Programs and Staff

In response to state budget cuts, the board of the Massachusetts Cultural Council approved a spending plan for the current fiscal year that calls for cuts to a range of grant programs supporting the arts, humanities, and sciences statewide, and also cuts staff and spending at the agency itself.

The MCC’s state appropriation for Fiscal Year 2010 was reduced from $12.7 million to $9.7 million-a cut of just over 23 percent. In response, the MCC eliminated five full-time staff positions, cut administrative spending, and ended several partnerships and initiatives. Taken together, these decisions allowed the agency to lessen the impact of the budget reduction and ensure that no organization, school, or local cultural council sees its grant cut by more than 23 percent.

“This is a very difficult year,” said Anita Walker, MCC Executive Director. “But we have done our best to manage this significant budget cut as equitably as possible, and to preserve as much money as we can for our core grant programs for nonprofit cultural organizations, communities, schools, and artists.”

Do you have an item you would like to share about the creative economy? Suggest a Post to Berkshire Creative!

Local Cultural Grant Applications Now Available

Published: September 10, 2009Posted in: FEATURES 1, NON PROFIT RESOURCES, RESOURCESTags: , , , , ,
Local Cultural Grant Applications Now Available

The MCC’s 329 Local Cultural Councils (LCCs) support cultural programming in every city and town in Massachusetts. The LCC program accepts proposals from individuals, schools, and cultural organizations for community-oriented arts, humanities, and science projects. Grants can support a variety of projects and activities, including exhibits, festivals, short-term artist residencies or performances in schools, workshops, and lectures.

Visit the MCC’s website to locate  and  learn more about you local cultural council,  guidelines, and priorities.

Applications must be sent directly to your local cultural council and be postmarked by October 15, 2009.

Do you have an item you would like to share about the creative economy? Suggest a Post to Berkshire Creative!

FOUNDATION CENTER

Published: August 25, 2009Posted in: FEATURES 1, NON PROFIT RESOURCES, RESOURCESTags: , , , , ,
FOUNDATION CENTER

Established in 1956 and today supported by close to 600 foundations, the Foundation Center is a national nonprofit service organization recognized as the nation’s leading authority on organized philanthropy, connecting nonprofits and the grantmakers supporting them to tools they can use and information they can trust.

Its audiences include grantseekers, grantmakers, researchers, policymakers, the media, and the general public. The Center maintains the most comprehensive database on U.S. grantmakers and their grants; issues a wide variety of print, electronic, and online information resources; conducts and publishes research on trends in foundation growth, giving, and practice; and offers an array of free and affordable educational programs.

Many of Foundation center’s resources are free, but some do require a subscription. Not ready to commit to a subscription? Visit the following local organizations who offer free access to Foundation Center: Berkshire Funding Resource Center at the  Berkshire Athenaeum and The Center for Nonprofit Excellence at the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation.

Click here to visit the Foundation Center online and learn more!

Do you have an item you would like to share about the creative economy? Suggest a Post to Berkshire Creative!

« Older Entries