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Colonial Receives Cultural Facilities Fund Support10:53AM / Friday, May 15, 2009
State Invests $12.4 Million in Cultural Facilities
Cultural Facilities Fund Supports Creative Economy Infrastructure In Massachusetts
Eighty-five organizations across Massachusetts will receive grants ranging from $4,000 to $400,000 from the state’s Cultural Facilities Fund (CFF). The grants, totaling $12,467,900, were announced today by MassDevelopment and the Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC), which administer the program jointly. Of the amount awarded, $12,009,900 will support 61 capital projects, $379,000 will be used by 17 groups for feasibility and planning studies, and $79,000 will be used by 17 groups as systems replacement plan grants.
CFF grants support Massachusetts nonprofit cultural organizations with building projects that increase tourism, create new jobs, leverage private funding, and expand arts and cultural activities in communities across the state. The latest round of CFF grants was made possible by a $6.5 million appropriation by the Legislature in July 2008 as part of the FY 2009 state budget, and a $7 million allocation by the Governor in April as part of a 2009 capital bond.
“These grants will help cultural organizations flourish in every corner of our Commonwealth,” said Governor Deval Patrick. “They are a sound investment in the state’s vibrant creative economy, and promise to have a direct economic impact throughout Massachusetts.”
Recipients are located in 45 communities statewide from Adams to Fall River, and run the gamut from small community heritage sites to large museums, theaters, and performing arts centers.
Barnstable’s Cahoon Museum of American Art will draw on a $400,000 grant to construct a new addition to its historic 1775 building that will add gallery, classroom, storage and administrative space and draw new visitors to Cape Cod. A $90,000 grant will help repair the Roxbury Center for the Arts at Hibernian Hall, which has helped revitalize Roxbury’s Dudley Square neighborhood. And the internationally renowned Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival in Becket will use a $400,000 grant to construct a new performance stage and facility to enhance its appeal to hundreds of thousands of summer visitors to the Berkshires.
“Our rich array of cultural organizations draws visitors from across the nation and around the world,” Senate President Therese Murray (D-Plymouth) said. “These grants are an economic driver that help foster growth in this key sector of our economy, creating jobs and generating new income in our communities.”
“The construction projects funded through these grants will provide short-term stimulus to our economy,” said House Speaker Robert DeLeo of Winthrop. “And over the long term, investments like this will position our cultural organizations to attract more visitors to Massachusetts and make our cities and towns better places to live and work.”
About CFF:
The Massachusetts Cultural Facilities Fund is an economic stimulus program that invests in the planning, acquisition, rehabilitation, and construction of nonprofit and public cultural facilities in Massachusetts. Since its creation by the Legislature in 2006, the CFF has awarded more than $37 million to more than 200 cultural facilities projects across the state. MassDevelopment and the Massachusetts Cultural Council co-administer the program. MCC solicited and evaluated CFF applications for this latest round of grants, receiving 132 requests for funding totaling $27.5 million. The MCC then recruited 28 experts from across the U.S. with experience in tourism, facilities finance and operations, real estate, construction, organizational development, and historic preservation to review and rank the applications using a weighted set of criteria. All applications were also reviewed by an appointed Cultural Facilities Fund Advisory Committee with statewide representation. The board of Directors of MassDevelopment approved the awards, which MassDevelopment manages and disburses. Award decisions were based on the recipients' ranking, annual operating budget, and location. Maximum awards are capped at $400,000. Grants announced today must be matched one-to-one by the recipient with funds from other sources.
About MCC:
The Massachusetts Cultural Council is a state agency that promotes excellence, access, education and diversity in the arts, humanities, and sciences to improve the quality of life for Massachusetts residents and contribute to the state’s economic vitality. MCC is committed to building a central place for arts and culture in the everyday lives of communities through a combination of grants, services, and advocacy for cultural organizations, schools, and artists. MCC receives an annual appropriation from the state Legislature and funds from the National Endowment for the Arts and other sources.
About MassDevelopment:
MassDevelopment, the state’s finance and development authority, works with businesses, financial institutions and local officials to stimulate economic growth across the Commonwealth. During FY 2007, MassDevelopment financed or managed 211 projects statewide representing the investment of more than $2 billion in the Massachusetts economy. |
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