181 Boston arts organizations receive over $470,000 in Boston Cultural Council grants

Mayor Martin J. Walsh and the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture, in collaboration with the Boston Cultural Council and the Mass Cultural Council, today announced the selection of 181 Boston arts organizations and projects that will receive 2018 Boston Cultural Council organizational grants, totaling $472,955.

Organizations applied for the funding through a competitive process, and projects were selected based on their potential to enhance the quality of life, and the economy and design of the City of Boston, in addition to advancing the goals of the Boston Creates Cultural Plan.

“This is an exciting time for the City of Boston because we are investing in organizations and projects that have the potential to enhance Boston's arts and culture community,” said Mayor Walsh. “I’m looking forward to seeing how these organizations use art to unite, lift up and inspire Boston’s communities.”

The City of Boston contributed $300,000 in funding and Mass Cultural Council contributed over $170,000 to the Boston Cultural Council (BCC).

The selected organizations represent an array of disciplines, including visual arts, theater, film, music, dance, and the humanities. For a complete list of grantees, click here.

“On behalf of Boston City Singers, we are honored to receive continued funding from the Boston Cultural Council to support our music and youth development training programs,” said Melissa J. Graham, Managing Director of Boston City Singers. “These funds will have a significant impact on our ability to serve under-resourced children from Boston's most challenging neighborhoods."

The BCC received 208 applications for this year's grant program. Applicants were required to show how they plan to help grow access to the arts in underserved areas lacking cultural opportunities, elevate the work of Boston's creatives, inspire the creation of new works, and support the achievement and provision of excellent, high quality arts and culture in the City of Boston.

“Financial support from the BCC allows us to both help local writers and reach local readers,” said Carissa Halston, Co-founder of Aforementioned Productions. “We can host more live events, which is where we've met so many of our contributors, and continue to develop our catalog by taking risks on authors who take risks on the page and the stage.”

“We are grateful for the support this grant provides for our in-school, after-school, free ticket access, and award-winning teen summer employment programs which reach thousands of people each year,” said Sue Dahling Sullivan, Chief Strategic Officer of the Boch Center. “Combined with the leadership support they have shown for ArtWeek, an innovative spring festival that is now expanding statewide, we applaud both the City of Boston and the Boston Cultural Council as committed champions for our creative community.”

This year, grants were categorized based on budget size, with general operating support for those with an annual budget under $1 million and project-specific grants for organizations with annual budgets over $1 million. The BCC is also participating in a pilot payment program with the Mass Cultural Council this year, through which grantees will receive their payment upfront instead of through reimbursements.

“The Boston Creates planning process led us to realize the disparity of arts opportunities across the various neighborhoods of Boston,” said Julie Burros, Chief of Arts and Culture. “By investing in arts organizations across the City, we’re a partner in their success and we’re helping to expand access to arts opportunities in every community.”