Last week, the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture (MOAC) for the City of Boston announced that they are establishing a $10 million multi-year Cultural Investment Grant funded through local ARPA appropriations. The purpose for the grant is to grow and sustain arts and cultural organizations that have a clear vision of a creative, equitable, and more just city. These funds will in turn build capacity for organizations working with communities in Boston who have been most harmed by the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly communities of color. The deadline to submit a letter of inquiry for Cultural Investment Grant funding is February 1, 2023 at 11:59pm. 

This represents a significant win for arts and cultural organizations in the City of Boston that would not have been possible without the steadfast and coordinated advocacy that our larger creative community demonstrated. Together, we elevated our voices, our needs, and our resources to those with direct decision-making authority and now we are enjoying the rewards of that labor.

BOSTON (1/17/23) - MASSCreative is pleased to announce the appointments of Richeline Cadet as director of organizing and Kelsey Rode as director of external relations. Both Cadet and Rode will work directly with Emily Ruddock, the executive director, as members of the organization’s senior leadership team.

“Richeline and Kelsey are inspired leaders who have already proven themselves as effective political organizers and communications professionals,” said Ruddock. “As MASSCreative turns its attention to the upcoming legislative session and the incoming Healey/Driscoll Administration, Richeline and Kelsey will play vital roles in ensuring the creative sector is unified in its advocacy efforts.”

Create the Vote 2022 Will Host Statewide Candidate Forum Aug. 3 in Worcester 

June 14, 2022—The Massachusetts cultural community today launched the Create the Vote MA 2022 Coalition (CTVMA) to ensure candidates for Governor and Lt. Governor understand and support the state’s growing creative economy and its artists, organizations, and workers.

CTVMA now comprises 36 organizations representing the state’s racially, linguistically, and geographically diverse population who’ve joined the campaign to elevate the voices, contributions, and concerns of the arts, cultural, and creative workforce throughout the 2022 campaign. This new campaign builds on a nearly decade-long effort by MASSCreative and its allies to position the creative sector as a vital contributor to economic prosperity, community vitality, and diversity, equity, and inclusion, across Massachusetts. 

 Year-long learning community for grassroots organizers will focus on building and sustaining political power in Massachusetts’ arts and cultural sector

Boston, February 15, 2022―MASSCreative announces that nine artists and creative leaders have been selected to participate in the first class of Create the Vote Fellows. The Create the Vote Fellowship is a yearlong learning community for grassroots organizers focused on building advocacy, creating knowledge, and sustaining political power in Massachusetts’ arts and cultural sector.

“Art and culture are a public good deserving of public support. Yet politicians and other decision makers often take the contributions of cultural organizations, artists, their creations, and the nearly infinite ways in which they make life worth living for granted,” said Emily Ruddock, Executive Director of MASSCreative. “Create the Vote Fellows will be trained in the strategy and tactics of effective political advocacy and organizing. They will learn how to build and sustain political power to ensure public investment and attention to the arts and cultural organizations and people who contribute so much to the quality of our lives and the health of our communities.”

BOSTON, January 26, 2022—Today, Gov. Charlie Baker released his proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2023. In it, he recommends allocating $20.4 million for the Mass Cultural Council, which is a slight increase over the FY22 annual allocation ($20M). MASSCreative Executive Director Emily Ruddock issued the following statement in response: 

“This is a great start, and we applaud Gov. Baker for recognizing the depth of need among artists and arts and cultural nonprofits. Since March 2020 and the pandemic-related closure of museums and stages and the cancellation of musical performances, plays, and other live performances, 981 arts and cultural nonprofit organizations—which represent a sliver of the state’s creative economy—have reported $588.3 million in pandemic-related losses. Nearly 3,000 creative workers in Massachusetts lost over $30 million during that same time.

BOSTON, November 4, 2021—Yesterday, the Senate Ways and Means Committee released its plan to disburse $3.67 billion of the more than $5 billion in federal funds allocated to Massachusetts via the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). The bill sets aside $75 million for restoration and support of the arts and cultural sector. 

“We are deeply disappointed with this recommendation. Arts and cultural organizations were the first to shut down in March, 2020 and many of them have yet to reopen, which means that they are well into their second straight year of not being able to put on the performances that bring in revenue. Artists and independent creative workers lost gigs and personal income almost overnight. Every organization and worker in this sector, regardless of how well-resourced at the start of the pandemic is hurting now, with BIPOC-led organizations bearing the brunt of the damage,” said MASSCreative Executive Director Emily Ruddock. “MASSCreative will partner with artists and arts and cultural supporters across the Commonwealth to support Amendment #2, which would increase the allocation to $200 million and ensure artists are eligible for recovery assistance. The Amendment was filed by State Senator Ed Kennedy (D-Lowell), Chair of the Senate Tourism, Arts and Cultural Development Committee. Chair Kennedy has been a champion for working artists and the arts and cultural sector throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.”

BOSTON, October 26, 2021—This week, the House Ways and Means Committee released its plan to disburse $3.65 billion of the more than $5 billion in federal funds allocated to Massachusetts via the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). The bill sets aside $125 million for restoration and support of the arts and cultural sector.

MASSCreative will partner with artists and arts and cultural supporters across the Commonwealth to support amendment #109, which would increase the allocation to $175 million. The amendment was filed by Rep. Dylan Fernandes, House Vice Chair of the Joint Committee on Tourism, Arts and Cultural Development, who has been a champion for working artists and the arts and cultural sector throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. 

BOSTON – The COVID-19 Cultural Impact Commission released its final report today, concluding in a series of recommendations to the Legislature that include the utilization of $575 million of the $5.3 billion in federal funding received by the state through the American Rescue Plan to address the recovery of the creative and cultural sector over the next four years, as well as several additional policy recommendations. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has been devastating for the Commonwealth's arts and cultural institutions, with the latest figures coming from the Mass Cultural Council showing a loss of $588 million by non-profit and municipal cultural organizations and $30.4 million in lost revenue reported by individual artists, teaching artists, and scientists/humanists from March 2020 to April 2021. 

In addition to adding a great deal to our quality of life, arts and culture represent a significant economic sector in our state that we must help rebound and rebuild in the coming months and years. Prior to the pandemic, arts nonprofits in the Commonwealth supported more than 73,000 full-time jobs, generating more than $2.2 billion in total spending and bringing in nearly $100 million in state tax revenue.  The Massachusetts arts and cultural industries generated over 25 billion dollars for the U.S. GDP in 2019 alone. There are nearly 310,000 people employed by the creative economy in New England, with nearly half employed in cultural institutions providing close to 150,000 creative economy jobs in Massachusetts. 

BOSTON, June 17, 2021—Today, Gov. Charlie Baker announced plans to invest $2.8 billion in federal COVID-19 funding from the American Rescue Plan to support economic recovery in communities hit hardest by pandemic. The plan allocates $450 million in direct economic development efforts, with $100 million reserved for cultural facilities and tourism assets. MASSCreative Executive Director Emily Ruddock issued the following statement in response: 

“These funding choices are incredibly disappointing and do not reflect lessons learned over the last year about the ways in which art kept people connected throughout COVID as well as the ways that systemic racism contributes to inequities throughout our civic and cultural institutions. By choosing to only focus on a part of the arts and cultural sector hundreds of organizations - not to mention creative workers and artists - will be cut off from American Rescue Plan funds that are desperately needed to reopen and rehire people. 

“Without bold, comprehensive public funding for reopening the arts and cultural sector, Massachusetts stands to lose key members of the vibrant arts and cultural community that have long been an economic engine in cities and towns throughout the state. Before the pandemic, cultural nonprofits in Massachusetts supported more than 73,000 full time jobs, generated over $2.3 billion in total spending, and brought in nearly $100 million in state tax revenues. Every dollar spent by an arts and cultural organization generates $2.30 in sales for nearby businesses, and in 2018, there were more than 21 million attendees for art and cultural events in the Greater Boston area, which is more than four times that for all major Boston sporting events combined.

“Community-based arts activities build bridges across neighborhood, ethnic, and class divides in ways that many other forms of civic engagement do not. Throughout the pandemic, arts organizations found creative ways to keep people connected and have been vital to sustaining personal and community connections.

The pandemic has devastated the arts and cultural sector, which has reported over $588 million in lost revenue. Sector reported reopening costs for arts and cultural organizations is estimated to be more than $100 million. Immediate assistance is needed to pay for the technological innovations needed to safely reopen, re-create jobs, and sustain and advance racial diversity and equity and diversity of programming in arts and cultural organizations across the state.”

BOSTON, April 14, 2021—Today, the House Ways and Means Committee recommended funding the Mass Cultural Council at $20 million, which would be a $1.8 million increase over last year’s budget. It would also be the largest public investment in the arts and cultural sector by the state since Fiscal Year 2002 when the state allocated $23.9 million to the Mass Cultural Council. MASSCreative Executive Director Emily Ruddock issued the following statement in response:

“We are incredibly grateful to House Speaker Ron Mariano, House Ways and Means Chair Aaron Michlewitz, and Tourism, Arts and Cultural Development Committee House Chair Carole Fiola for their leadership in both recognizing and responding to the dire need of arts and cultural organizations and artists throughout Massachusetts.  

“Since March 2020 and the pandemic-related closure of our museums and stages and the cancellation of musical performances, plays, and other live performances, nearly 900 arts and cultural nonprofit organizations—which represent a sliver of the state’s creative economy—have reported $588.3 million in pandemic-related losses. Individual creative workers in Massachusetts lost over $30 million during that same time. Organizations led by Black Indigenous, and People of Color have been especially hard hit.

“The state’s ultimate economic recovery from the pandemic will be tied to the health of these organizations as they drive the state’s tourism industry as well as economic activity in our local neighborhoods. Before the pandemic, arts and cultural nonprofits generated over $2.3 billion in spending, brought in nearly $100 million in state tax revenues, and supported more than 73,000 full time jobs.

“The mental, emotional, and spiritual health of our communities is also tied to the health of arts and cultural organizations, which have found creative ways to keep people connected over the past year. They have offered virtual performances at no cost, outdoor performances, and free music, dance, and theatre instruction via Zoom for vulnerable youth.

This public investment in arts and culture is also an investment in ensuring full public access and representation in art, as the Mass Cultural Council prioritizes grant-making across diverse racial, linguistic, ethic, socioeconomic, and geographic communities.

“As we come out of the pandemic, we are going to need every tool at our disposal to revive the economy, bring people together again, and proactively work for racial equity. The arts and cultural sector will be central to these efforts. We applaud House leadership for ensuring that our artists and arts and cultural organizations will have the support they need.”