Amidst our shock over the announcement of the House's budget announcement and efforts to combat the cuts, MASSCreative continues to focus on and raise awareness about our 2014 Create the Vote campaign. MASSCreative's own Matt Wilson met with various local cultural organizations Wednesday in Pittsfield, MA to hold a strategy meeting broadcasting the word and brainstorming ideas for the upcoming Create the Vote campaign. 

"'Our job over the next seven months is to create a unified voice to make sure the next governor is not only supportive of the arts, but a champion,' said Wilson. 'The idea is not just to elect an arts champion as governor. It's to build our network across the state so we can hold him or her accountable.'"

The meeting involved a presentation discussing MASSCreative's goals and outlining strategies for success. Following the meeting, the community leaders broke into four groups to further discuss the components of various strategies and how to implement them, as well as how to keep them going after the election. 

Attendees of the meeting were also still in shock over the announcement of the budget cuts released that morning:

"'When I moved to the Berkshires in 1988, what was then the Mass. Council on Humanities & Arts had $22 million a year,' said Maureen Hennessey, a grant specialist for the Clark Art Institute. 'There was real money then.'"

We're hopeful that a few more meetings like these and lots of community support can help reverse the cuts to the state arts budget and ensure that arts issues remain at the forefront of the gubernatorial race this coming election. 

Click here to take read the full article on iberkshires.com!

And make sure to email your legislator and ask him or her to support raising the MCC's budget this year coming year here!