Who are Our Arts and Culture Champions?

Over the next seven weeks the candidates for governor, the MA Senate, and the MA House will be talking about the strengths, challenges and opportunities for the Commonwealth and debating their vision for Massachusetts over the next 5-10 years.  The Create the Vote Coalition is working with leaders in the creative community to elevate the issues of arts and culture in that debate and discussion.  Our goal is to make sure that the candidates champion robust arts and cultural platforms. 

This month, MASSCreative sent out the Create the Vote Questionnaire to the candidates running in Massachusetts House and Senate races.

Here are some highlights from candidates’ responses, where we ask them to reflect on the impact of arts and culture in their own districts:

“Each cultural council is different and each brings the community together in different ways, sometimes expanding our ideas of art.  Porchfest?  Circle the Square?  Cambridge River Festival?   Smaller events like artists presenting in schools.  So many possibilities!”

- Patricia Jehlen (D), Candidate for State Senate, 2^nd Middlesex

"As you know, Springfield is a Gateway City, and I am very supportive of local venues including Symphony Hall and City Stage, the East Longmeadow Summer Concert Series, The Wilbraham Summer Concert Series and the Wilbraham United Players to name a few - these are great local venues that provide top notch performances but also have a great impact on the local economy in terms of economic spin off and enriching the quality of life of our residents."

- Angelo Puppolo Jr. (D), Candidate for State House, 12^th Hampden

“The key to tourism in the Blackstone Valley is creating an experience for people to visit or attend a local attraction like the Willard Clock Museum or an event like the annual Chain of Lights Holiday event. The Chain of Lights started in Sutton and spread to other towns in the Valley. It is a day-long event in which businesses, non-profits and local organizations create a local event that attracts people from not only the host town but surrounding towns.”

- Martin Green (D), Candidate for State House, 9^th Worcester

“The Hanover Theater in Worcester took an underused area of the city, and now, attracts capital to renovate other nearby buildings.  (Including my building in Worcester!)  I recall seeing Star Wars at Showcase Cinemas, and now, to see as a renovated, working theater is terrific.”

- Brad Wyatt (R), Candidate for State House, 12^th Worcester

“The Arlington Center for the Arts is just one example of an arts/cultural institution that contributes greatly to one of the towns I represent.  The music program in the Belmont public schools is considered one of the best.”

- David Rogers (D), Candidate for State House, 24^th Middlesex

We’ll be bringing together leaders in the creative community to meet with candidates about their arts and cultural platforms. Folks interested in working with the Create the Vote coalition to organize a meeting in their district can sign up here. This will be a great opportunity to show the candidates that arts matter to you and voters in local and statewide elections.