WESTFIELD – The 2015-2016 Grant cycle is about to begin for the Westfield Cultural Council.
The local Westfield Cultural Council is a part of the Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC), a state agency that promotes excellence, access, education, and diversity in the arts, humanities, and interpretive sciences to improve the quality of life for all Massachusetts residents and contribute to the economic vitality of our communities. Each year, local councils award more than $2 million in grants to more than 5,000 cultural programs statewide.
This year, the Westfield Cultural Council awarded $20,566 in grants to area non-profits to fund 26 programs from October 2014 thru December 2015. Funded programs covered a spectrum of artistic expression from musical performances to fine art to signage for the Columbia Rail Trail. Organizations receiving funding included several grants to schools for various programs to enhance the educational experience of students through the arts.
Other grants were awarded to local groups such as the Young Singers of Westfield, Greater Westfield Choral Association, and the Community Choral Festival. The traditional herald of the Christmas season, the Novi Cantori concert held each December at the First Church in Westfield, is funded in part from a WCC grant.
Grants were also awarded to the Westfield Athenaeum for its summer reading program and for a new program sponsored by the Athenaeum that explores the various cultures and traditions that Westfield area residents celebrate. These weeklong celebrations through traditional foods, music and dance as well as speakers will help us get to know better and respect those of diverse cultures in Westfield.
The grant application deadline for the 2015-2016 cycle is October 15, 2015. Please log onto http://www.massculturalcouncil.org/ for more information. The Westfield Cultural Council meets each second Tuesday at 7pm in the Westfield City Hall.
Local councils can vary in size from five to 22 membersand there are open slots on the local Westfield Cultural Council.
For additional information, please contact Chair Amy Tosi at [email protected]
