PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The City of Pittsfield Office of Cultural Development, in partnership with Berkshire Regional Planning Commission, has been recommended for a $75,000 Our Town award from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to support a Cultural Plan for the City of Pittsfield. 

 

This is one of 57 grants nationwide, totaling $4,175,000, that the NEA has recently announced in the Our Town category. These creative placemaking grants support projects that integrate arts, culture, and design activities into local efforts to strengthen and authentically engage communities, center equity, advance artful lives, and lay the groundwork for long-term systems change.

 

"The National Endowment for the Arts is pleased to support a wide range of projects, including A Cultural Plan for Pittsfield, demonstrating the many ways the arts enrich our lives and contribute to healthy and thriving communities," said NEA Chair Maria Rosario Jackson. "These organizations play an important role in advancing the creative vitality of our nation and helping to ensure that all people can benefit from arts, culture, and design."

 

The project, which starts in September 2023 and lasts until August 2024, will jumpstart a community-led process leading to A Cultural Plan for Pittsfield.

 

 "As the cultural sector is a major economic driver in Pittsfield and throughout the Berkshires, the development of this comprehensive cultural plan will provide a roadmap of actionable next steps and initiatives to build upon, enhance, and grow this vital segment of our local economy," said Mayor Linda M. Tyer. 

 

Pittsfield's Cultural Development Director Jen Glockner continued.

 

"We are looking forward to partnering with the staff at the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission and cultural organizations throughout Pittsfield on this community-led initiative to continue our commitment to arts and culture," she said. 

 

The plan will focus on actionable recommendations and policy proposals that aim to enhance arts access for all Pittsfield residents and ensure the sector plays a vital role in addressing the City's physical, social, and economic challenges while improving quality of life. The process to arrive at a plan will be an inclusive one that encourages and welcomes broad and diverse public input.

 

In addition to BRPC, local organization Berkshire Black Economic Council and the Berkshire Black Arts Council have been tapped to play a key role in the public engagement process.  "The Berkshire Black Economic Council and its Black Arts Council are very excited to prepare research that will inform efforts to enhance diversity by improving inclusion and the creative economy in Pittsfield," said A.J. Enchill, President & Executive Director of The Berkshire Black Economic Council.