Pittsfield Cultural Council Announces 2026 Grant Awards

07:10AM / Wednesday, March 18, 2026Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Pittsfield Cultural Council (PCC) has awarded grants to a group of organizations, groups, and individuals who will provide creative experiences for community members of all ages this year.

Through funding provided by the Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC), the PCC is supporting 48 projects that span a wide range of disciplines, including visual arts, music, theater, dance, literature, and community events.

Projects will take place throughout 2026.

The PCC is among 329 local councils that receive annual allocations from the MCC, a state agency dedicated to providing grassroots funding for projects in the arts, humanities, and interpretive sciences.

Each fall, the local council reviews applications and awards grants to projects that align with its mission of fostering a vibrant and accessible local arts and culture scene. Non-profits, businesses, government agencies, and individuals are encouraged to apply for grants for 2027 through the MCC website, which typically begins accepting project proposals in early September.

Pittsfield Cultural Council Grant Awards for 2026

Arts in Recovery for Youth: Expressive art program
Berkshire Art Association: BAA Biennial Show
Berkshire Art Center: Visual arts program for the Stickney Pittsfield Adult Learning Center
Berkshire Children's Chorus: "Joyful Voices of Berkshire Children" concerts
Berkshire Concert Choir: 2025-2026 concert season
Berkshire County Arc: Music therapy program
Berkshire Garden Center: Farm and garden program at Herberg Middle School
Berkshire Lyric Theatre: Educational programs and concerts
Berkshire Music School: "Pay-what-you-can" community group classes
Berkshires Jazz: Summer Showcase concert
Boston Comic Arts Foundation: Pittsfield Makes Comics workshop
Sarah Clay: "Day Dream" jazz concert
Downtown Pittsfield Cultural Association: First Fridays Artswalk and Art in the Park
Downtown Pittsfield, Inc.: "Where Nature and City Meet" storefront painting project
Elizabeth Freeman Center: "Healing Through Harmony," music therapy program
Diane Firtell: Plein air painting and art exhibition
Luiza Geraldi Folegatti: "All the Power/Toro el Poder," bilingual youth photo workshop
Greenagers: Greenagers Education and Environmental Stewardship Program
Heart & Soil Collective: Community Cooking Days classes
Maurice Hernández: Support for Revista Somos Berkshires, Spanish-language community magazine
Katunemo: Community art exhibition
Latinas413: Bilingual sewing workshops
Alex Leff: Screening of "The King Is Dead, Now What? The 250-Year Struggle for Democracy," an animated documentary
Literacy Network of South Berkshire: Storytelling for adult English-language learners
Literacy Volunteers of Berkshire County: "Project 45: Celebrating 45 Years of Literacy and
Community Through Music" celebration
Mary Jo Maichack: "Girl Talk: Finding Your Voice," storytelling workshop for girls
Bruce Mandel: "The View From Behind This Guitar, solo acoustic concert
Amanda Meli: "Songbird Soul" performance celebrating legendary women singers
David Neill: Fanfare Brass Ensemble patriotic music program
Nutshell Playhouse: Theatrical performances for children
Rita Parisi: "Women of ‘76" theatrical history program
David Ricci: "Hunter Gatherer: Salvaged Stories of American Culture," photography presentation
Rites of Empowerment and Passage (R.O.P.E.): "R.O.P.E. Celebrates Black America," youth arts program
Roots Rising: Pittsfield Farmers Market activities
Sheldon Ross: Ragtime Five Brass Quintet concert
Elizabeth Ryan: Soular Eclipse "Totality," jazz and R&B concert
Jay Santangelo: "Depot After Dark," outdoor summer dance series
Shakespeare & Co.: Fall Festival, arts education program for high-school students
Small Planet Dancers: "Roaring Twenties" dance, song, and comedy program
Noel Staples-F.: "African-Rooted Dance and Drum," dance and music classes
Tamarack Hollow Nature and Cultural Center: "Celebrate Malinke Culture From Guinea," music and culture class with master artist Bolokada Conde
The Brien Center for Mental Health & Substance Abuse Services: "Recovery Rewards: Healing Through Art" program
The Eagles Band: Free annual Colonial Theatre concert
The Stockbridge Sinfonia: Summer concerts showcasing American composers
Trustees of Berkshire Athenaeum: Berkshire Book Con, celebration of reading and writing
Lara Tupper: "Memoir Writing: What's Your Story?" workshop
Timothy Van Egmond: Singing and storytelling at the Hancock Shaker Village's Baby Animals Festival
Mary Witt: O-Tones "Music for the Soul," swing, blues and jazz concert

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Second Streets Second Chances Awarded $85K for Workforce Re-Entry Program

By Brittany Polito03:00PM / Monday, September 28, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A local program for formerly incarcerated citizens seeking a technical career received $85,000 from the state.

On Thursday, the Healey-Driscoll administration announced $2.25 million in Re-entry Workforce Development Demonstration Program grants to 12 organizations that will provide job training, career support, and employment opportunities to 445 formerly incarcerated individuals returning to their communities.

Second Street Second Chances was allocated $84,712 to partner with the Berkshire County Sheriff's Office to offer a training program to 12 returning citizens with a focus on the advanced manufacturing and engineering industry.

The funds will be used to put 12 returning citizens through a training program with a focus on the advanced manufacturing and engineering industry. Successful program graduates will be placed in manufacturing and welding roles at Onyx Specialty Papers and Hi-Tech Mold and Tool.

The program was one of 12 awardees, a majority on the eastern side of the state; Greenfield also saw funding.

"When people return to their communities, they should have a real opportunity to get a good job, support their families and build a stable future," said Gov. Maura Healey in a press release.

"These grants connect people with the training and experience they need to succeed and with employers that are ready to hire."

Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll said successful reentry means making sure people have the tools and opportunities to move forward, and these programs bring together community organizations, public safety partners, and employers to connect people directly with training and jobs.

Launched in 2022, Second Street Second Chances' mission is to provide a central point of access for medical and mental health, housing, job training, legal services, and more for a successful reentry into the community.

Early this year, the nonprofit saw an $89,000 grant from the program. Executive Director Lindsay Cornwell at the time said this funding allowed 2nd Street to expand its mission of supporting returning citizens in Berkshire County through meaningful workforce opportunities and a pathway toward sustainable employment.

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