Candidates celebrate Arts Matter Day 

On Friday, October 24, the creative community made their voice heard, earning attention from gubernatorial candidates and the media.  

In celebration of Arts Matter Day, gubernatorial candidates Charlie Baker, Martha Coakley, Evan Falchuk, and Jeff McCormick all made strides in elevating arts and culture in their campaigns.

Martha Coakley visited the old Victory Theatre in Holyoke on Friday to announce her arts and cultural platform. In her platform, Coakley commended the creative economy’s strength as an economic driver for Massachusetts, saying that she would leverage these economic benefits and work with the state Legislature to double Massachusetts Cultural Council funding and build on Gov. Patrick’s support for the Cultural Facilities Fund. Coakley also expressed her commitment to arts education and that she would “promote expanded learning opportunities and facilitate a shift from STEM to STEAM”. Read the details of Martha Coakley’s platform and check out the Springfield Republican’s coverage of her announcement at the Victory Theatre.

Charlie Baker shared his response to the Create the Vote Questionnaire on Arts, Culture, and Creativity.  Baker writes about the importance of arts education in a well-rounded education, saying that he would “work to ensure wide access to the arts in public schools.” To support the creative economy, Baker would promote public-private partnerships to increase investment in the creative economy and lower taxes and ease small business regulations to “help the creative economy by making it easier to start and grow their businesses.” Read Charlie Baker’s full response to the Create the Vote questionnaire on our site.

Jeff McCormick was inspired to add his voice to the conversation on Arts Matter Day, releasing his own Arts Matter video. On why arts matter to him, McCormick said, "In many communities, art and artists have been at the leading edge of change - revitalizing a neighborhood, giving a community a reason to exist and a cause for celebration."

MASSCreative has also received Evan Falchuk’s Create the Vote questionnaire, which can be read on our site. Back in May, leaders from the Create the Vote coalition met with Falchuk to discuss the role of arts and culture in his campaign.