Ventfort Hall Receives Grant from Mass Cultural Council

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LENOX, Mass — Ventfort Hall Gilded Age Mansion & Museum has received a grant of $15,300 from the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency, through its Operating Grants for Organizations Program.
 
Operating Grants for Organizations will provide multi-year, unrestricted operating grants to nonprofit organizations that enrich Massachusetts' cultural life. These grants will work to strengthen a cultural sector that generates an economic impact of $28.6 billion, employs some 134,000 people, and constitutes 4.1 percent of the state economy.
 
"I am thrilled to see Ventfort Hall receive this well-deserved grant from the Mass Cultural Council," Former State Representative Smitty Pignatelli said. "As a treasured historic site, Ventfort Hall plays a vital role in educating our community, preserving our local heritage, and enriching our cultural landscape. This funding will provide critical support for their ongoing efforts to engage and inspire visitors, ensuring that future generations can experience the beauty and history of this remarkable landmark."
 
For this fiscal year, Mass Cultural Council has adopted a $34 million spending plan, allowing the Agency to award at least 2,500 grants totaling approximately $38 million to the Commonwealth's creative and cultural sector. This is funded primarily through public dollars, including the Agency's $26.7 million state budget appropriation and support from the National Endowment for the Arts. The agency also runs the Mass Cultural Facilities Fund in partnership with MassDevelopment.
 
"We are deeply honored to receive this generous grant from the Mass Cultural Council, which recognizes our ongoing efforts to preserve Ventfort Hall and the vibrant history it represents," Executive Director for Ventfort Hall, Wendy Healey, said. "This support is vital to our mission, which goes beyond restoring this magnificent Jacobean Revival Gilded Age mansion. It allows us to celebrate and honor the diverse individuals and eras whose stories are intertwined with this remarkable place. Thanks to the visionary generosity of organizations like the MCC, we are able to continue writing a new chapter in Ventfort Hall's legacy, ensuring that this once-exclusive Lenox "cottage" remains accessible and welcoming to all."  
 
For this fiscal year, Mass Cultural Council has adopted a $34 million spending plan, allowing the Agency to award at least 2,500 grants totaling approximately $38 million to the Commonwealth's creative and cultural sector. This is funded primarily through public dollars, including the Agency's $26.7 million state budget appropriation and support from the National Endowment for the Arts. The agency also runs the Mass Cultural Facilities Fund in partnership with MassDevelopment.
 
 
 

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Mother Plans Memorial Bench at Clapp Park

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Parks Commission has OK'd a memorial bench for a young man who had many happy memories at Clapp Park. 

"I hate this. I lost my son in December to a fatal overdose, and so I am looking to have a memorial bench installed for him at Clapp Park. He was 23 when he passed," said Sarah DeJesus, through tears. 

"The first half of his life, we lived in that neighborhood … and so we have so many great memories at Clapp Park." 

DeJesus has worked to mitigate health complications from substance use for years as the program manager of Berkshire Harm Reduction. The bench will be placed above the park's splash pad overlooking the area in honor of Premier Ashton DeJesus.

As for cost, DeJesus said she will fund the bench, installation, and associated expenses. 

"I've always thought that the top of the hill could use some seating opportunities, and I think this is a perfect opportunity to sort of honor a young person who Clapp Park was very meaningful to him and to the family," Parks, Open Space, and Natural Resources Manager James McGrath said. 

She and McGrath have selected a durable bench that can be fixed to the concrete, with a plaque on the back. 

DeJesus said her son went to summer camp at the park, movie nights, sledding, played sports there, met friends, and gained independence as a child. 

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