#ArtsMatter at Home

The COVID-19 pandemic has hit each member of our community in difficult and unpredictable ways. We are worried for the present and uncertain for the future, and we feel more isolated than ever. But despite the changes and fears this crisis has brought, we at MASSCreative still believe in our mantra: arts matter. 

This time of great trouble has shown us that when we can’t physically be with one another, art still allows us to touch each other’s hearts and bring joy into our lives. How many of us have spent the past weeks reading, watching, singing, dancing, creating? We have turned to the arts in our darkest moment to get us through, to keep our communities intact and uplift our stories of struggles and success.

We want to showcase how the arts matter to us in the Commonwealth. That’s why we’re starting #ArtsMatter Monday on our Instagram and Facebook to promote how our community still sees the arts as a vital part of our lives. Make a post featuring how you’re using the arts to get through this crisis– whether creating it, teaching it, or consuming it– using the hashtag #ArtsMatter and we’ll feature you on our Instagram and Facebook stories.

Looking for another creative outlet and a way to celebrate history? Contribute to the DRAWING ACT 150 community art project. 150 years ago, legislators in Massachusetts responded to the demands of industry by requiring that arts education be taught public schools. Through the passage of the Drawing Act, the Legislature mandated that industrial and mechanical drawing education be available in day and evening schools to anyone over 15 years old. This was the first state mandated arts education bill in the country.

In celebration of the anniversary, everyone from across the Commonwealth is invited to contribute to the DRAWING ACT 150 community art project. Participants are asked to make a small drawing of something you see everyday. Contributed drawings will be considered for online and in-person displays to celebrate the passage of the Drawing Act. 

The arts and cultural community of Massachusetts is vibrant and resilient. We are incredibly proud of the ways our community has come together to support one another and celebrate the creativity that’s still in our lives. We’ve shown that through the arts, we may be distant in space but not in our hearts and spirits.

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