BOSTON, August 27, 2021—The Boston Mayoral Forum on Arts, Culture, and Creativity will take place Thursday, September 2 from 4-5 p.m. Co-hosted by the Create the Vote Boston 2021 Coalition and WBUR, the forum will foster discussion of mayoral candidates’ vision for Boston’s post-pandemic future and the role that artists and arts and cultural organizations will play in it. WBUR arts reporter Cristela Guerra will moderate the forum which will be livestreamed by HowlRound.
“The next mayor of Boston will have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to lead the city out of the COVID-19 pandemic toward a more inclusive, just, and connected city,” said Cynthia Woo, Director of Pao Arts Center. “To succeed, the arts and cultural sector must be centered in those efforts. We look forward to this important discussion with the mayoral candidates.”
“Before the pandemic, the city’s arts sector contributed $2 billion to Boston’s economy, sustained 30,000 jobs, and drew 21 million people to cultural events—which is more than four times as many people who attended professional sports games,” said J Cottle, Executive Director of Dunamis Boston. “Yet artists, their creations, and their numerous contributions to the city’s economy are often taken for granted by city leaders. We want to hear how candidates intend to sustain and support the arts sector, which has been devastated by the pandemic.”
“Everyone who lives in Boston has the right to experience creativity and culture, express themselves creatively, and see their culture reflected in artistic expression,” said Karthik Subramanian, Managing Director of Company One. “But the systemic racism that has been laid bare, most recently, by the COVID-19 pandemic, has often meant that BIPOC entrepreneurs and artists working in the cultural sector have not had access to the same opportunities for funding and permitting and licensing as their white peers. This has reinforced systems of cultural segregation in Boston that must be dismantled to become a city of opportunity for everyone.”
“Boston is a great city in which to live, work, and play, and artists, cultural organizations, and the creative sector is a big reason why,” said Carole Charnow, President & CEO of Boston Children's Museum. “But as cities across the country, including ours, grapple with lower attendance and smaller audiences due to the pandemic, cultural leaders are working hard to restore confidence and encourage audiences to return. We are seeking a mayor who understands this challenge, and will integrate arts and cultural recovery into their larger pandemic economic development plans. We are looking forward to having this important discussion with our Mayoral candidates in this upcoming forum.”
The Boston Mayoral Forum on Arts, Culture, and Creativity will take place Thursday, September 2 from 4-5 p.m. Members of the public can watch via livestream by HowlRound. To learn more about Create the Vote, follow us on Twitter @CreatetheVoteMA and Instagram @CTVBoston
About Create the Vote Boston Coalition
CTV Boston Coalition is a network of arts and cultural leaders in Boston who work in collaboration and shared advocacy for a city where arts, culture and creativity are accessible to and representative of all residents. CTV Boston engages all candidates running for mayor on the impact that arts, culture and creativity has on our local economy and on the health and well-being of Boston residents, and how much greater this impact could be with more intentional leadership and investment.
