Friday July 16 from 9:30am - 10:30am

Thanks to a combined $5.9 billion in American Rescue Plan Act state and local recovery dollars, Massachusetts will have the opportunity to make key investments in every city and town in the Commonwealth. Additionally, the American Rescue Plan Act allocated $135 million to the National Endowment for the Arts and $135 million to the National Endowment for the Humanities. 

This funding is a once in a generation opportunity to significantly support the recovery and resiliency of the arts and cultural sector in Massachusetts. 

Join MASSCreative and our partners for a teach-in to learn more about each of these recovery funds and get the tools you need to ensure the equitable recovery of the entire arts and cultural ecosystem in Massachusetts.

Register Today

On March 6, President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) into law. The $1.9 Trillion relief plan includes a number of provisions that will support the creative sector’s recovery in the Commonwealth. Here’s a breakdown and additional resources to help you make sense of the law.

UPDATE: Resources 

As we await the Small Business Administration's announcement on the application process here are a few resources to help you better understand the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant program (formerly Save Our Stages)

• MASSCreative's January 8 Policy and Action Update Webinar featuring Nate McGaha, Executive Director of Arts North Carolina, breaking down the $900 billion pandemic relief package
  • Nate's slide deck from from his presentation
• The Federal Small Business Administration's Shuttered Venue Operators Grant webpage - be sure to bookmark this page as more information will be added as the grant program is developed.

On Sunday December 27, 2020, President Trump signed H.R. 133 into law, a massive $2.3 trillion spending bill that included a more than $900 billion pandemic relief package joined with a $1.4 trillion spending bill for FY2021. There is significant relief for the arts, humanities and interpretative sciences contained in the bill including an extension of Federal Pandemic Unemployment programs (with an additional $300 to all weekly benefits), $284 billion for forgivable Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans (allowing many to apply for a second loan), and $15 billion in relief grants for entities and individuals operating live performance venues, performing arts organizations, museums, independent movie theaters, and talent agencies plus an increase of $5.2 million each in funding for the National Endowment for the Arts and National Endowment for the Humanities ($167.5 million each in FY2021). This bill represents the single largest amount of funding for the arts and humanities ever passed by Congress

None of this happened by accident. It was thanks to the sustained advocacy efforts of individuals and organizations across the nation who worked to ensure the needs of the creative community were clear to lawmakers. MASSCreative is proud to have joined and promoted the advocacy work of national partners including the National Independent Venue Association / SaveMAStages, Americans for the Arts, The Live Events Coalition / Mass Live Events Coalition and Be An Arts Hero. We are relieved to see action from Congress at this late hour. 

Now is a great time to THANK our Massachusetts Senators and members of Congress. Here are a few ways you can do that:

• From the American Alliance of Museums, thank members of Congress for relief provisions for the museum sector
• Look up your member of Congress and Senators using this form

Last Friday, December 4, we held our final Policy and Action Update webinar for 2020. What a long year it has been! We shared updates on the FY21 State budget as well as ways you can continue to effectively advocate for the arts and culture community. In this post you will find two important action alerts to State lawmakers.

MASSCreative continues to monitor and report on state and federal policy that supports equitable communities and a stronger, more inclusive creative sector. 

Included in MASSCreative's December 10 Policy Update:

• FY21 State Budget
• Rollback of Reopening

Last Friday we provided updates on the FY21 State Budget process as well as a quick recap on the 2020 General Election Results. In this email we share two action alerts for Federal and State lawmakers as well as the latest research on singing and playing instruments safely.

MASSCreative continues to monitor and report on state and federal policy that supports equitable communities and a stronger, more inclusive creative sector. 

Learn more in MASSCreative's November 16 Policy Update, including:

General Election Results
FY21 Budget Update
Mass Cultural Council COVID-19 Impact Study
Watch our Post Election Analysis Webinar

MASSCreative continues to monitor and report on state and federal policy that supports equitable communities and a stronger, more inclusive creative sector. Here's the Policy Update from the last two week including:

• Federal Stimulus Bill
• FY21 State Budget
• End of the Moratorium on Evictions and Foreclosures
• New guidance from the Dept of Elementary and Secondary Education on musical instruments

In partnership with arts and cultural leaders in the city of Cambridge, MASSCreative is hosting a petition to Mayor Siddiqui, Vice Mayor Mallon, City Manager DePasquale, and esteemed members of the Cambridge City Council to advocate for protection and relief for arts and culture in Cambridge. Learn more about the Central Square Arts Network leading the petition and local advocacy.

Since the arrival of COVID-19 to the Commonwealth and Cambridge, arts and cultural organizations - as well as the artists, creative workers and administrators who make up the sector - have been greatly impacted. 

A report from the Mass Cultural Council shared these sobering facts:

• $425 Million in reported lost revenues by arts and cultural nonprofits
• 17,000 jobs in the creative community affected

These impacts are felt by artists, creative workers, and arts & cultural organizations in Cambridge. Leaders of the Cambridge arts and cultural community are preparing to send the following letter to recently sent the following letter to Mayor Siddiqui, Vice Mayor Mallon, City Manager DePasquale, and members of the Cambridge City Council

If you are a Cambridge resident or work in Cambridge, add your name to the petition.

08/28/20 UPDATE: Mayor Curtatone and the ResiStat program will host a Arts Community Town Hall Meeting 9/15/20 at 6:30pm. We encourage all Somerville arts community members and supporters to join this event. 

Read more about the town hall

In partnership with arts and cultural leaders in the city of Somerville, MASSCreative is hosting a petition to Mayor Curtatone and the City Councilors of Somerville to advocate for protection and relief for arts and culture in Somerville. 

Since the arrival of COVID-19 to the Commonwealth and Somerville, arts and cultural organizations - as well as the artists, creative workers and administrators who make up the sector - have been greatly impacted. 

A report from the Mass Cultural Council shared these sobering facts:

• $425 Million in reported lost revenues by arts and cultural nonprofits
• 17,000 jobs in the creative community affected

These impacts are felt by artists, creative workers, and arts & cultural organizations in Somerville. Leaders of the Somerville arts and cultural community recently sent the following letter to Mayor Curtatone and the City Councilors of Somerville

If you are a Somerville resident or work in Somerville, add your name to the petition.