The Reopening of the Open Door Gallery at WAM
Written by Anna-Li St. Martin, Intern with the City of Worcester’s Cultural Development Division, spring 2023 As an intern for the City’s Cultural Development Division, I had the amazing opportunity to attend the reopening of the “Open Door Gallery” at the Worcester Art Museum (ODG@WAM). On Monday, March 20th, 2023, I attended the reopening of […]
Worcester Public Library + City of Worcester Host Poet Laureate Inauguration of Oliver de la Paz
WORCESTER, MA – The City of Worcester’s Cultural Development Division and Worcester Public Library will host an inauguration ceremony for new Worcester Poet Laureate Oliver de la Paz. The ceremony will take place from 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 7, 2023 on the first floor of the Worcester Public Library at 3 Salem St. […]
CITY OF WORCESTER ANNOUNCES OLIVER DE LA PAZ AS NEXT POET LAUREATE
WORCESTER, MA – City Manager Eric D. Batista, Mayor Joseph M. Petty, the Worcester City Council, and the City’s Cultural Development Division have announced the appointment of Oliver de la Paz as the City of Worcester’s next Poet Laureate. The award-winning poet and literary educator will serve from January 2023 to December 2025. De la Paz […]
City of Worcester Announces Search for Next Poet Laureate
WORCESTER – Acting City Manager Eric Batista, in collaboration with the City Council and Cultural Development Division, is pleased to announce the nomination process for the City’s next Poet Laureate. The next Poet Laureate’s term will begin Jan. 1, 2023. The deadline to apply or nominate is Oct. 17. More on the City of Worcester […]
Worcester Arts Council’s FY23 Grant Applications Open September 1 through October 17, 2022
Worcester, MA – The Worcester Arts Council (WAC) is now accepting grant applications for its FY23 funding cycle. The deadline to apply is October 17, 2022. As part of a statewide network of Local Cultural Councils (LCCs), WAC receives funding through Mass Cultural Council (MCC) annually. For FY23, WAC will once again award thousands for […]
New Grant Opportunity from the Worcester Arts Council: Up to $200,000 Available for Creative Projects in Worcester
WORCESTER, MA — The Worcester Arts Council (WAC) is now accepting applications for Project Grants for Individuals, a new program through which WAC plans to award up to $200,000 in grants, in amounts of $2,500, $5,000, $7,500, or $10,000. The deadline to apply is July 10, 2022. This new grant opportunity is available thanks to an […]
City’s Cultural Development Officers Erin Williams to Step Aside after 18 Years Serving Worcester
WORCESTER, MA — City Manager Edward M. Augustus Jr. today announced that Cultural Development Officer Erin Williams will step aside from her duties in June after serving the city for 18 years. Williams concurrently served as the executive director of the Worcester Cultural Coalition (WCC), a public private partnership that advocates for the creative community […]
Create 508 Hiring for 2022
The Create 508 Program began in 2021 as a collaboration between the Worcester Cultural Coalition and the City of Worcester’s Cultural Development Division and Division of Youth Opportunities. This six-month youth development and employment program sought to support youth leaders in driving Worcester’s culture and community, while simultaneously learning the business side of art. During […]
Take the Worcester Arts Council’s 2020 Funding Priorities Survey
Weigh in on Arts & Culture in Worcester and Enter to Win Bose Headphones The Worcester Arts Council (WAC) is seeking community input on arts and culture in Worcester through its 2020 Funding Priorities Survey. The online survey will be open now through September 7, 2020, and can be completed here. Responses to this brief […]
COVID-19 Impacts on the Arts – June 2020
COVID-19 has changed our way of live indefinitely. The cultural sector has been deeply impacted, and arts organizations are feeling the financial stress like never before. Read on for details on local, state-wide, and national effects to culture, and for ways to take action to ensure creative workers and institutions aren’t left behind as budgets […]
Call to Artists: Give Me A Sign
Calls to Artists: Give Me A Sign The City of Worcester Cultural Development Division, in partnership with the Worcester Cultural Coalition and the Greater Worcester Community Foundation, is accepting proposals from artists and designers for the Give Me A Sign project. “The ‘Give Me A Sign’ project highlights the relationship between creative expression and mental […]
Upcoming Cultural Town Halls
Arts and cultural workers have multiple ways to share their experiences and learn more about the local, state, and federal responses to COVID-19 starting May 20, 2020. May 20, 12pm – 1pm: The Worcester Cultural Coalition and Mass Cultural Council host an online Town Hall Forum with Congressman Jim McGovern. This meeting is an opportunity […]
Worcester Creative Relief Fund Distributes $35,000 to Local Artists
Seventy creative workers selected to receive assistance with lost income due to COVID-19. WORCESTER, MA – Two weeks after the announcement of the Worcester Creative Relief Fund, 70 local individuals in the creative sector have been selected to receive $500 grants. The Worcester Cultural Coalition and the Greater Worcester Community Foundation established these grant funds […]
Worcester Creative Relief Fund
Note: This application has been closed as of April 8, 2020. Additional resources for the creative community can be found on our Creative Community Resources page. Announcing a new source of one-time funding for individuals working in the creative sector whose income has been negatively impacted by public safety measures surrounding COVID-19. WORCESTER, MA – […]
March 13 Update: Arts, Culture, & COVID-19
A letter from Worcester Cultural Coalition Executive Director Erin Williams: Hello Cultural Community, Worcester City leadership held a press conference on March 12 to outline its response to the COVID-19 virus. The priority is to ensure safety for all residents. All City-sponsored events hosting 50 people or more are cancelled, the Senior Center is closed […]
Women’s Suffrage: Worcester 2020
The 19th Amendment, recognizing women the right to vote, was ratified in August of 1920. Women’s Suffrage: Worcester 2020 celebrates the progress of American women since then, recognizes historic and present-day obstacles to universal suffrage, and works to increase voter education and engagement in our city. A volunteer working group drawn from various Worcester organizations and […]
Worcester Arts Council Awards Over $163,000 in Grants for Local Arts and Cultural Programs in 2020
Worcester Arts Council Awards Over $163,000 in Grants for Local Arts and Cultural Programs in 2020 Worcester, MA- City Manager Edward M. Augustus, Jr. and Worcester Arts Council Chair Yasmin Goris have proudly announced the awarding of 53 grants totaling more than $163,000 for arts and cultural programs in Worcester in 2020. The Worcester Arts Council […]
Introducing Worcester’s Poets Laureate
City of Worcester Announces Poet Laureate, Youth Poet Laureate WORCESTER, MA – City Manager Edward M. Augustus Jr., Mayor Joseph M. Petty, the Worcester City Council and the Office of Cultural Development have announced the appointments of the City of Worcester Poet Laureate and Youth Poet Laureate. The Poet Laureate and Youth Poet Laureate will […]
Senator Chandler Awarded 2019 “Outstanding Woman State Legislator Supporting the Arts”
The Worcester-based Senator is being nationally recognized for her contributions to the arts in communities across Massachusetts. WORCESTER, MA November 15, 2019 – Massachusetts State Senate President Emerita Harriette Chandler has received the 2019 “Outstanding Woman State Legislator Supporting the Arts” Award. This annual award recognizes a female state lawmaker who has made significant contributions […]
THANK YOU for voting for a New Summer Concert Series!
Community Input Needed for Outdoor Concert Series With enough community support, Worcester will host a new 10-day outdoor concert series in the summer of 2020 UPDATE – November 21, 2019 – the Worcester Cultural Coalition has made it to the final round of the Levitt AMP grant application. Thank you to everyone who voted, shared, […]
Call for Submissions: Worcester Windows “Clothing, Culture, Armor!”
What: The Worcester PopUp is seeking submissions for the next Worcester Windows Exhibit. “Clothing, Culture, Armor!” will showcase the clothing that defines you and the communities you identify with, whether born or chosen. The clothing and costumes we choose to wear relate directly to the aspects of ourselves we hope to either showcase or protect. What […]
Naming Rights for Downtown Theater at 20 Franklin Street
WORCESTER, MA – October 1, 2019 – The Worcester Cultural Coalition, in partnership with the Worcester Business Development Corporation and City of Worcester, have announced the naming rights for downtown Worcester’s first black box theater. Jean McDonough has contributed $2 million for construction and operations, bolstering the launch of theater operations scheduled for spring 2020. […]
Listen Now: WCC Talks Creative Revitalization
An On-Air Interview with WXLO’s Vicki Greene by Cassie Lane Cultural Development Intern, Summer 2019 On June 9th, 2019, 104.5 WXLO-FM radio host Vicki Greene invited creative community members Hank VonHellion, Nikki Erskine, and Yaffa Fain to discuss City-wide art programs and cultural initiatives currently taking place in Worcester. The City’s growing art and culture […]
A Cultural Plan for the City of Worcester, Massachusetts
City of Worcester Announces Completion of First Comprehensive Cultural Plan Plan promotes a shared vision to recognize the power of culture and make communities better places for people to live, learn, work and thrive View the full Cultural Plan View the Executive Summary Worcester City Council unanimously voted on […]
Call for Artists: Main Street Reimagined and Worcester Wayfinding Projects
The City of Worcester is now accepting proposals from artists and designers for the creation of benches and bicycle racks for the Main Street Reimagined project and the creation of art panels for the first phase of the Worcester Wayfinding project. The themes of creativity, innovation and revolution will be the focal point of artistic […]