[Image Courtesy of Massachusetts Cultural Council]

  Boosted investment in arts & culture:  
MCC celebrates with the community 

October is National Arts & Humanities Month, and the timing couldn’t be better to celebrate our state’s investment in arts, culture, and creativity across the Commonwealth. Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC) is organizing Creative Communities/Creative Minds receptions to celebrate its recent announcement of more than $10 million in FY15 grants to nonprofit cultural organizations, communities, schools, and youth programs statewide.

This past Tuesday at the Boston Ballet, MASSCreative joined Speaker DeLeo, Senator DiDomenico, Representative Cory Atkins, House Minority Leader Brad Jones, Representative Jay Livingstone and the MCC to meet the Ballet’s new executive director Max Hodges and hear about her plans for the Ballet as it moves into celebrating its 50^th season.

Next Tuesday, Oct. 7 at the Provincetown Art Association and Museum, Cultural Caucus Co-Chair Sen. Dan Wolf and Rep. Sarah Peake will welcome visitors and celebrate 100 years of programming at the museum.

Wednesday, Oct. 15 at Historic Deerfield, Mass Humanities & House Ways & Means Committee Vice Chair Rep. Steve Kulik will host the crowd and honor the site which recently received a $30,000 Cultural Facilities Fund grant to make it more accessible to visitors.

Thanks to the creative community’s engagement in MASSCreative’s advocacy work, there’s more money in the pot for state investment in arts, culture, and creativity. During the FY15 budget season, the mobilized grassroots community generated 2,500+ signatures to Governor Patrick, 3,000+ emails to state legislators, 7 op-eds in daily newspapers, held 33 district meetings with 550 attendees that resulted in 141 out 200 legislators signing on to an amendment to significantly increase the MCC’s budget. Collectively, these impressive actions prove the effectiveness of arts advocacy.