Soon a flood of cash will be available to artists around Massachusetts in the form of grants from local cultural councils. This year, the Massachusetts Cultural Council has $8.8 million to dole out in the form of grants and subsidies. Last year, $2.7 million of the Massachusetts council’s award money went to local councils throughout the state for distribution.
Last year, most of the state’s 329 local councils received $4,300 to dole out among area artists. Larger communities such as Amherst and Springfield were given heftier sums; $22,000 and $103,000, respectively. The largest grant Amherst awarded was $1,000 in support of an Arcadia 25th anniversary concert series, and in Springfield the biggest grant was $2,000 given to the 5A Bulldogs Youth Athletics and Academics.
In general, local cultural councils are looking for anything art — performances, poetry, sculptures, songs, murals, etc. — that has a public benefit and is non-discriminatory. Projects in the arts, humanities, and “interpretive sciences” will be considered. Interpretive science is when the creativity of art is used to explain technical principals.
With it still being summer, there’s plenty of time for you to plan a project and apply.
On Sept. 1, individual local cultural councils will post to their websites how much grant money each has available and what specific criteria, if any, a community will impose on award winners. The post will also outline the application process and whether supplemental items, such as a letter of support, will be required.
Grant applications must be received by Oct. 15, or be post-marked with this date.
Nov. 1-Dec. 30, local council members will vote to award grants.
Jan. 15, councils will begin to notify successful applicants.•
