Your Personal Connection
We've all had defining moments in our lives. What personal experience with arts, culture, or creativity had an impact on your life and your view of the community?
Growing up, we always had art in the house and my parents encouraged respect and admiration for artists. I took up drawing and painting at an early age and went to college to study fine arts.
Arts and Culture in Your District
Art and culture plays a role in the Commonwealth from Boston and the Gateway Cities and our rural and suburban towns. Please provide us with a story of the impact a local arts or cultural institution brings to your district.
This District is rich in cultural and art institutions from the Spire in Plymouth to the Pembroke Arts Festival to the Falmouth Artists Guild— each town is indeed fortunate to have these places and people among them. They bring arts and culture to our doorsteps and also economic activity that is substantial.
Arts Education and Programs for our Youth
Creativity and innovation are vital skills in a student’s education. While many communities have access to quality arts education, many youth are still being left out of the creative community. How will you champion arts education for our youth both in our schools and in our communities? How will you balance the importance of arts education with the constant pull to “teach to the test”? Would you support joining ten other states to make one year of arts education in high school a requirement for admission to the state university system? Do you support adding ‘arts’ into the Commonwealth’s STEM program to transform it to STEAM?
Yes. There is a correlation between kids taking arts and how well they do in school. It is often the starting point for a child’s interest in school and it is important to restore and fund those programs and give each child access to arts classes.
Economic Development
Nonprofit art and cultural organizations support more than 45,000 jobs, spend $2.1 billion annually and generate another $2.5 billion of economic activity. How will the legislature foster an ecosystem, which supports the creative community and industry across the Commonwealth?
One way is to continue the programs currently in existence and keep them funded.
Addressing the Commonwealth’s Socioeconomic Issues
Massachusetts faces many economic and social issues, among them workforce development, public safety, and health care. Can you provide examples on how you would utilize the arts, cultural, and creative community to address the Commonwealth’s social and economic challenges?
Fine art and performing arts festivals that bring tourists to the area are very good for stimulating the economic activity in an area.
The Commonwealth’s Support and Role in the Creative Community
• Last year, Massachusetts invested $12 million in organizational support through the Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC) for the creative community, ranking it ninth in the country. In 1988, the MCC gave out more than $27 million in grants, more than twice what we do now. At what level would you fund the MCC?
o As much as possible.
• For the past two years, Governor Patrick allocated $15 million in matching grants through the Massachusetts Cultural Facilities Fund to support the maintenance, repair, and rebuilding of the Commonwealth’s cultural facilities. At what level do you suggest the Commonwealth fund this program?
o At least that amount.
• Would you develop or dedicate a revenue stream to provide a sustainable and stable funding stream for the arts, cultural, and creative community?
o I would consider possible increases to room or meals taxes dedicated to the arts.
