Dear Governor Baker,
As arts and cultural leaders and supporters from across the state, we are thrilled that the MA Legislature voted to increase the Mass Cultural Council’s budget to $18 million, as part of the FY20 state budget. This increase ensures the Mass Cultural Council can continue to do its work in providing grants and services to the creative community.
Arts and cultural nonprofits in Massachusetts support more than 73,000 full-time jobs, generate over $2.2 billion in total spending, and bring in nearly $100 million in state tax revenues. Public investment in these cultural organizations is a proven and reliable generator of economic activity, most noticeably in higher need areas of the state, such as our Gateway Cities and rural communities.
The arts and cultural community looks forward to your approval of the FY20 state budget and the Mass Cultural Council line item (0640-0300), and working with you and your administration to build a more vibrant, connected, and equitable Massachusetts.
The benefits the arts sector bring to our communities do not happen by accident. They are the result of strategic investments in Local Cultural Councils, working artists, cultural institutions, community groups, and youth programs by the Mass Cultural Council, which focuses on expanding equitable access to art for all residents.
Specifically, the increase will allow for the Mass Cultural Council to:
- Increase grants to its 329 Local Cultural Councils, the nation’s largest network of community arts support led by 2,500 volunteers in every city and town.
- Reinvest in the Cultural Investment Portfolio, the core operating support program for more than 400 nonprofits.
- Increase investment in Creative Youth Development Programs, nationally recognized programs that use the power of the arts, humanities, and sciences to help young people learn, grow, and thrive.
- Deepen investments in its Universal Participation (UP) Initiative, which supports a growing cohort of cultural nonprofits that are breaking down barriers to participation through inclusive, diverse, equitable, and accessible policies and practices.
Sincerely,
