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 survey will help determine the Council’s funding priorities for the 2021 grant cycle, which begins October 1, 2020.

“Taking WAC’s 2020 Funding Priorities Survey might be the simplest way anyone in Worcester can weigh in on the direction of arts and culture in the City. It takes less than 5 minutes to complete, and the answers directly influence where our annual grant funding goes,” said Worcester Arts Council Chair Yasmin Goris. “Plus, this year you also have a chance to win a pair of Bose headphones by completing the survey! It’s a win-win-win.”

Those who complete the survey also have a chance to win a pair of Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 ($399 value). The Worcester Cultural Coalition has teamed up with WAC to help encourage survey participation by offering this raffle prize.

“As our Cultural Plan reflects, the Worcester Cultural Coalition’s efforts include creating equity in the arts in order to tell the full Worcester story. The input of all of Worcester’s populations is invaluable to these efforts,” said Erin Williams, Executive Director of the Worcester Cultural Coalition. The Worcester Cultural Plan can be found here.

Because WAC is responsible for distributing public dollars, the Council solicits public opinion about how to best distribute those funds through its Funding Priorities Survey. Like most Local Cultural Councils, WAC typically receives more grant requests than can be funded. Strong priorities based on community input help guide its grant-making decisions.

This year, WAC is looking to gain more overall participation, with wider demographics among survey participants.

“It is so important that the responses to our Funding Priorities Survey truly represent all the people of Worcester and reflect what is important to our diverse community. The Worcester Arts Council is planning extensive outreach in the City and will be distributing this survey widely. We strongly encourage anyone who lives or works in Worcester to take part,” Goris said.

The Worcester Arts Council is part of a statewide network of 329 Local Cultural Councils supported through the Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC). The Local Cultural Council (LCC) Program is the largest grassroots cultural funding network in the nation, supporting thousands of community-based projects in the arts, humanities, and sciences. This program assists the Worcester community in the development of local projects and adds to the cultural vitality of the city.

The current Worcester Arts Council members are Yasmin Goris (Chair), Jeremy Bouchard (Secretary), Mitchell Perry (Treasurer), Thomas Conroy, David Filar, Lisa Malo, Jennifer Riley, and George Sedares. The Council currently has one vacant seat. Those interested in serving on the Worcester Arts Council can find out more or apply on the City of Worcester website.

• July 27, 2020 Update: Please note that due to updates from the Mass Cultural Council, the statewide organization which funds the Worcester Arts Council, deadlines have been adjusted. The Funding Priorities Survey will now close September 7, allowing more time for public input. Applications for the 2021 grant cycle will be accepted October 1 – November 15. An additional announcement on this adjustment to follow.

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We are facing a crisis that must be addressed now.  The Worcester Cultural Coalition — representing arts, culture, and creative nonprofits committed to equity for all — stands together in outrage, sadness, and commitment, to address the death of George Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis Police Department on Memorial Day.  This unconscionable act, and the recent deaths of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and countless others, are but another example of the systemic racism experienced by Black, Indigenous, and other people of color.

Our hearts and minds go out to members of our immediate and national communities feeling pain, rage, and exhaustion resulting from the oppression which has been part of the American experience for centuries. We have the responsibility to address structural injustice, oppression, racism, and abuses of power. Now is the moment for change.

The Worcester Cultural Coalition’s mission is to draw on Worcester’s diverse cultural assets to (among other things) support active creative engagement for all. Arts and Culture create opportunities to engage with, record, and experience our world through multiple perspectives. Through arts and culture, we express our past and futures, our sorrows and joys, our fears and ambitions – our creative expressions are the purest form of our humanity itself. In these times where the definition of humanity seems up for debate, let us be clear: The Black experience is part of the human experience. Black Lives Matter. Black and marginalized voices must be heard.

The Worcester Cultural Coalition is committed to fostering an equitable and inclusive community for all. Now is the time for our creative and cultural community to acknowledge and help end the cycles of violence, to address structural racism, and to right injustices through our collective, creative, and cultural work.

The Worcester Cultural Coalition Board of Directors will be acting on the Worcester Cultural Plan, and encouraging our fellow WCC members and communities to join us:

• Embrace and foster cultural and creative expression, ways of life, activities, and organizations meaningful to all residents, while providing equitable opportunities and access to resources.
• Select and Elect leaders, staff, artists, and creatives from communities of color, thereby increasing the social and cultural perspectives of existing institutions, civic organizations, and the political arena, all of which are critical to the community’s success.
• Make Worcester a welcoming and inclusive community with a sense of connection, pride, and stewardship among people of all backgrounds, thus encouraging positive associations that maintain and honor cultural identity.
• Establish and strive for aggressive diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) goals.
• Create opportunities for Black, Latino, Indigenous, Asian, and other people of color to be heard and seen through cultural and artistic mediums.
• Listen to perspectives and experiences which differ from our own, and challenge ourselves to not just promote them to others, but to also reflect upon them ourselves.
• Educate ourselves as to white privilege, Anti-Racism, and how we can address systemic racism to build inclusivity in all creative and cultural endeavors.
• Build community through listening, partnering, empowering and acting on creating equity for all.

In these ways, the Worcester Cultural Coalition commits to addressing racial and systemic injustices, and renews its commitment to arts and cultural expression for all. Arts and culture are not just nice, but necessary to a Worcester which can thrive and evolve into a truly creative, equitable community.

Sincerely,

Erin Williams, Executive Director

Tracy Kraus, President of the Board

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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 – The Worcester Cultural Coalition, in partnership with the Greater Worcester Community Foundation, is addressing the acute and long-term needs of arts and culture workers and nonprofits, through a modest grant program.

The Worcester Creative Relief Fund will award grants in the amount of $500 to artists who live or work in Worcester and have had their creative practices and incomes adversely impacted by COVID-19. The Fund is designed to support Worcester artists of all types (visual, performing, design, etc.) who have been financially impacted by event/gig cancellations, the inability to exhibit their work/book shows, and/or have lost revenue from their day jobs being eliminated due to COVID-19.

Apply Now

“In Worcester and across the world, workers in the arts and cultural sector already functioning on thin margins have reported increasing pressure,” said Erin Williams, Executive Director of the Worcester Cultural Coalition. Local, national, and international authorities have established strict guidelines in order to “flatten the curve” and reduce the spread of the virus through banning large gatherings. These guidelines have resulted in the temporary closure of institutions and venues, and cancelled performances, shows, events, and classes. Further, many artists supplement their incomes with part time jobs, often in the service industry, which has also been hit hard by these guidelines.

“Arts and culture have long been an important component of life in Worcester and beyond. We’re proud to support our area’s vibrant culture in good times, and we have a responsibility to not just our creative sector, but to the community at large, to ensure the creative sector can survive these uncertain times,” Williams noted. “It has been inspiring to see our community transcend adversity, innovating how we can connect through an active embrace of creative arts and culture. Through these expressions, we’re engaging despite physical distance, which is a testament to the power of culture!”

The Worcester Creative Relief Fund has been established to meet immediate needs for individual artists as defined below.  Applications will be accepted online until April 8 at 5pm. The Worcester Cultural Coalition will convene a panel to review applications and make recommendations. These efforts are in line with long-term plans to protect and support the creative sector in Worcester.

Eligibility
The Worcester Creative Relief Fund is focused on current loss of income, providing relief for artists who live or work in Worcester, with a limit of one grant awarded per applicant and priority given to lower-income artists. Worcester Arts Council 2020 grant recipients are not eligible for this award.

The Worcester Creative Relief Fund is open for, but not limited to, the following uses:

• Recouping financial losses due to cancelled events, including but not limited to:
  • Performances in all performing arts discipline
  • Readings, panels, or speaking opportunities
  • Classes, workshops, or demonstrations
• Reimbursement for creative work expenses which have already been paid, including but not limited to:
  • Cancelled conferences or convenings which cannot be refunded
  • Artist Residencies
  • Touring
• Offset loss of income for teaching artists who experienced loss of income due to cancelled classes and/or school closures
• Support for artists working full or part-time in the service industry who have lost supplemental income used to support their creative practices.

Application Cycle
Applications will be accepted from Wednesday, April 1 through Wednesday, April 8 at 5:00 p.m. The application may remain open, or reopen at a later time, if need remains and funds have not been exhausted.

Grant Award Criteria
Grants are one-time payments of $500. For an application to be considered, applicants must provide the following:

• A 100-word summary of personal financial hardships due to COVID-19,
• Evidence of lost opportunity/income due to COVID-19. This may be a cancelled contract or letter of validation from a local nonprofit/civic leader, venue host, employer or gig organizer. In leu of a formal contract, this may be in the form of an email from an authorized agent of the 3rd party,
• A completed W9, and
• Proof of residence, for example a recent utility bill, paycheck, or bank statement.

Complete applications must be received by 5:00 p.m. Wednesday, April 8, 2020 and can be submitted through Google Drive.

For questions or concerns, the public may contact the City of Worcester Cultural Development Office: culture@worcesterma.gov or 508-799-1400 x 31414.

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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 open to all, WSW envisions, organizes, and promotes a diverse series of events throughout the city in this anniversary year.

Printable flyers for Worcester Women’s Suffrage events are available in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese.

Upcoming Events:

• August 26, 6pm from SuffrageMA100: 19th Amendment Centennial Commemoration – The Fight for Women’s Suffrage: Looking Back, Marching Forward! 
• August 26, 7pm from the City of Worcester Cultural Development Division and the Worcester Cultural Coalition:Worcester Women Changemakers: Celebrating Women’s Equality Day & Suffrage
  • Instagram images available in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese
• August 27, 12pm from the Worcester Art Museum: Women at WAM
• August 27, 6pm: Women of Consequence Award Ceremony
• August 31, 7pm from the Worcester Historical Museum: Madame Secretary Frances Perkins performance

Past Events:

• February 22, 6pm at Asa Waters Mansion: Suffragettes & Corselettes
• February 23, 4pm at the First Congregational Church of Shrewsbury: Women of Note, a capella Concert 
• March 7, 1:30pm at the Worcester Historical Museum: Worcester Historical Museum Suffragist Tea & Performance by History at Play
• March 25, 6pm at the Worcester Historical Museum: Screening of Anita: Speaking Truth to Power 
• April 9, 7:30pm at The Hanover Theatre: National Geographic Live with Dr. Kara Cooney, professor of Egyptology: When Women Ruled the World
• June 4, 7pm at the Worcester Historical Museum: Massachusetts in the Women Suffrage Movement: Revolutionary Reformers
• June 4, 7pm at the American Antiquarian Society: “Images in the Women’s Suffrage Movement” by Allison Lange
• June 25, 7pm: After Suffrage: The Campaign for the Equal Rights Amendment, 1920-2020 from the Worcester Historical Museum
• July 30, 7pm from the Worcester Historical Museum: To The Wrongs that Need Resistance: The Uneasy Path to American Women’s Suffrage
• August 12, 6pm from the League of Women Voters: Voting in 2020 & Getting Out the Vote
• August 24, 7pm from the Worcester Historical Museum: Madame Secretary Frances Perkins performance

Please contact Culture@WorcesterMA.gov for more information on getting involved or adding your own event to the list.

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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 serve as official ambassadors of the City’s historic and vibrant cultures of poetry and literature, using their positions to promote local writers and the transformative qualities of poetry and the written word.

Distinguished poet, community activist, and long-time educator Juan Matos has been selected as Worcester’s next Poet Laureate, to serve from January 2020 until December 2022. Amina Mohammed, a senior at Holy Name High School, will become the first Youth Poet Laureate in Worcester as well as the first in the state of Massachusetts. Mohammad will serve from January 2020 through December 2021.

Matos and Mohammad will be presented with ceremonial medals created by local metal artist Pam Farren and will deliver their first official readings at the City’s Inaugural Exercises and Celebration on Thursday, January 2, 2020, at 5:30 p.m. at Mechanics Hall.

“I am honored to be able to serve as Worcester’s Mayor for another term. To share the moment with not one, but two people who will actively contribute to and commemorate the Worcester community makes it even more special,” said Mayor Petty.

“Congratulations to both Juan and Amina, who stood out from a very talented field of applicants,” said City Manager Edward M. Augustus Jr. “We are especially thrilled to have the City provide a unique opportunity for a young person to express themselves as our Youth Poet Laureate. We look forward to Amina’s voice, presence, and vision, serving as a source of inspiration for her peers to pursue creative endeavors and share their own perspectives.”

Juan Matos says poetry has always been an essential part of his life and sharing poetry is among his greatest joys. “Sharing builds bridges among generations,” he wrote after learning of his selection. “Such an important program is about more than achieving recognition; it is about celebrating poetry in the light of itself.”

Matos earned a Master’s Degree in bilingual education at Worcester State University and went on to teach Spanish Literature and ESL for 32 years, the last 22 of which in Worcester Public Schools. During this time he wrote and published 12 poetry books and anthologies, took part in local and international literary festivals, and founded several literary groups and workshops. Matos has a long record of actively advocating for poetry and the arts, and in 2019 alone was awarded a Key to the City of Worcester, the Worcester Latino Dollar for Scholars Vision Award, an Honorable Citation from the Massachusetts House of Representatives, and the Father Miguel Bafaro Legacy Award. Other honors he has received include the Casa Cultural Dominicana de Worcester Leadership Award, a Recognition for Work in the Arts and Literature from the Rhode Island House of Representatives, and his home city of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic recognized Matos as a Distinguished Son for Contributions to Literature.

Of Matos’ appointment, Cultural Development Officer Erin Williams noted that he has, “contributed significantly to the Worcester community and simultaneously gained notoriety outside the city. We’re delighted to be working with a visionary poet who embraces language and has dedicated his life to creative expression for all.”

Youth Poet Laureate Amina Mohammad grew up in Worcester’s Main South neighborhood, the daughter of an immigrant family. Her parents worked long hours to provide her and her siblings with considerable support from neighbors. “They truly showed us what community was all about,” Mohammad wrote in a personal statement. “Growing up in areas like Main South and Vernon Hill created a window for false perceptions formed about […] kids just like me. It was a constant reminder that we might never amount to anything, that kids like us are just going to end up like the rest, and that we might never break the cycle that we became products of,” said the young woman, the first Youth Poet Laureate in Massachusetts.

In addition to their shared objectives, which include public readings and creating original works, Matos’ three decades as an educator will help him serve as a mentor to Mohammad. “Young people are my greatest love,” Matos said. “I am committed to continue the cultural activism that has allowed me to inspire many young people not only in the classroom as a teacher, but as a devoted and committed writer in our city.”

The objectives of the City of Worcester’s Poet Laureate Programs are to:

• Enhance the presence and appreciation of poetry and literary arts in Greater Worcester;
• Celebrate the spirit of the people and special qualities of Worcester, the City of Innovation;
• Raise awareness of the power of literature, poetry, and the spoken word;
• Provide a forum for collaborative art forms;
• Engage and support an emerging generation of poets and spoken word artists;
• Provide access to poetry and literary arts to all sectors of the community; and
• Encourage the reading and writing of both poetry and the written word.
Matos says he is eager to, “bring my experience as a community organizer and activist to promote activities that allow youth and adults to embrace poetry and literature as part of their cultural and spiritual growth. I am planning to improve the presence of authors in schools by creating and incorporating writing workshops.”

In her two year term as Worcester’s Youth Poet Laureate, Mohammad says, “I intend to prove that life is what one makes of it and that those whom society frowns upon tend to be the ones with powerful voices, positively making a change in their communities. I want to show that, no matter what, one can take their struggles and pains and turn them into masterpieces.”

A five person committee was formed to review dozens of applications to the Poet Laureate programs:

• Alex Charalambides: Worcester-based poet, 2011 Worcester Arts Council Fellow, and Executive Director of Mass LEAP;
• Christina Connolly: adult services librarian, Worcester Public Library social services liaison and steward of its literature and poetry collection.
• Sandra Paola Cadena Pardo: scholar and visiting professor of Spanish at Holy Cross, published author of two poetry books, essay books, and the play Cuando Perros Tienen Alas.
• Christopher Reilley: former Poet Laureate of Dedham, MA, two-time Pushcart nominee, founder of Dedham Poet Society and Leicester Writers Guild, published author of three poetry books.
• Heather Treseler: associate professor of English and Presidential Fellow for Art, Education, and Community at Worcester State University, author of essays and poems appearing in numerous periodicals and publications.

* * *

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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 in supporting the arts in her state. Senator Chandler received the award at the Women in Government Summit on November 15, 2019 in Washington, D.C.

Senator Chandler was nominated by Mass Cultural Council, and selected from a group of well-qualified female legislators. Nominees must demonstrate a significant contribution in support of the arts, evidence of promoting policies that support the arts, collaborate with cultural and education partners to support the arts, and promote the value and importance of the arts in public life.

“I am incredibly honored to receive this award,” Senator Chandler wrote in an email. “I fight for the arts and for cultural development because these programs have a unique way of bringing people together – that means people of all backgrounds, young and old, from all reaches of our Commonwealth, to share in a common experience and a common community.”

Senator Chandler noted that, “This work cannot be done without the tremendous leadership and support from the Massachusetts Cultural Council and the City of Worcester. In the Heart of the Commonwealth, we know too well that progress can be a struggle. But it is a struggle worth fighting for.”

“Arts, culture, and creativity play a critical role in becoming a great city,” said Worcester City Manager Edward M. Augustus Jr. “Senator Chandler has spent her entire career championing arts and culture by working to increase the Mass Cultural Council budget by millions of dollars, investing her time as a patron of our cultural institutions and providing opportunities to establish and support creative initiatives in Worcester and throughout the state.”

Worcester Mayor Joseph M. Petty also commended Senator Chandler’s sustained efforts. “It can take years of work to do even a small amount of good, and Senator Chandler’s consistent efforts have been and continue to be instrumental in Worcester’s growth as a city of creativity and inclusion.”

“Senator Chandler has been a fearless leader for arts and culture throughout her career. She understands that bringing the arts into everyday life, for everyone, builds healthy places to live. Worcester’s cultural community would not be as vibrant today without her support for arts education, and building resources for individual artists and our dynamic cultural institutions. She understands that art works,” noted Erin Williams, Cultural Development Officer, City of Worcester.

In her letter nominating Senator Chandler for this award, Massachusetts Cultural Council Executive Director Anita Walker wrote that, “The arts and culture are not just a set of talking points for Senator Chandler. She is present and participating at countless events in her community, helping to shape the discussion and advance the role of state government in supporting the transformative impact of the arts. Just visit her city of Worcester,” Walker said. “Once drab buildings are now canvases for murals, and the parks and plazas are alive with cultural activity. Worcester has a comprehensive cultural plan that is part and parcel of the city’s master plan. Senator Chandler has been a part of all of this.”

Senator Chandler’s efforts have helped launch the Massachusetts Cultural District Initiative – with Massachusetts now leading the nation in designated cultural districts – and a Universal Participation initiative aimed at increasing accessibility and participation within the arts. In Worcester, Senator Chandler is a corporator of the Worcester Art Museum and the Greater Worcester Foundation, and a member of the Worcester Women’s History Project.

“In the past 12 years the state appropriation for the arts and culture has increased more than 80%,” said Walker. “On top of that, the state has invested more than $120 million dollars in nearly 1,000 capital projects at cultural institutions. This does not happen without the active leadership of passionate legislators. Senator Chandler has provided that leadership at the Statehouse.” Additionally, Walked recognized Senator Chandler’s contribution to ensuring new casino gambling laws contained protections for cultural organizations, which could have otherwise been harmed by new competition.

About Senator Harriette Chandler

Senator Harriette L. Chandler (D-Worcester) is currently the Massachusetts Senate President Emerita, and previously served as the Senate President from December 2017 to July 2018. She is also the vice chair of the Senate Committee on Bills in Third Reading, the vice chair of the Joint Committee on Healthcare Financing, and serves as Co-Chair of the Prevention for Health Caucus and Co-Chair of the Legislature’s Oral Health Caucus.

Senator Chandler began her political career when she was elected to the Worcester School Committee in 1991. She served on the Worcester School Committee from 1991- 1994, three terms in the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 1995-2001, and became the first Worcester woman elected to the Massachusetts State Senate in 2000. Now in her 9th two-year term in the Senate, she has moved up through leadership positions in the Senate, starting out as Assistant Majority Whip, then Majority Whip, Assistant Majority Leader, Majority Leader, and Senate President.

Outside of the State House, Senator Chandler serves as a Co-Chair of the Reforming States Group Steering Committee of Milbank Memorial Fund. She is also the President of the 2017-2018 Executive Board of the Women’s Legislative Network of the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), a State Director of Women In Government, and corporator of the YWCA, Worcester Art Museum, and Greater Worcester Foundation. She is a member of the United Way of Central Massachusetts, Worcester Women’s History Project, Worcester Democratic City Committee and the Massachusetts Democratic State Committee.

Senator Chandler earned degrees from Wellesley College (B.A.), Simmons College Graduate School of Management (M.B.A.), and Clark University (Ph.D.). She holds honorary degrees from Worcester State College, Honorary Doctorate of Public Administration ’88 and Clark University, Honorary Doctor of Laws ’16. She is married to Worcester attorney Burton Chandler and has three grown children and four grandchildren.

About Women In Government

Women In Government Foundation, Inc., headquartered in Washington, D.C., is a national, nonprofit, nonpartisan organization of women state legislators. Led by a national Board of Directors consisting of 13 state legislators, WIG provides leadership opportunities, networking, expert forums, and educational resources to address and resolve complex public policy issues to all women state legislators. Women In Government leads the nation with a bold, courageous and passionate vision that empowers and mobilizes all women legislators to effect sound policy in areas such as healthcare, technology, education, energy, workforce development, the environment, transportation, criminal justice, and the arts. To learn more about Women In Government, go to: https://www.womeningovernment.org.

About the Worcester Cultural Coalition

The Worcester Cultural Coalition (WCC) is a public-private partnership established in 1999 between the City of Worcester and 12 cultural organizations. Today, membership stands at 78 organizations, accounting for more than 2.7 million visitors to Worcester annually. Its mission is to draw on Worcester’s rich and diverse cultural assets to foster economic revitalization, support active, creative engagement for all, and to promote a strong cultural identity for Greater Worcester. The WCC supports and encourages action that meets these creative goals of the Worcester Cultural Plan promoting cultural equity and creative community engagement. Learn more at www.worcesterculturalcoalition.org

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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, and encouraged others to do the same! The Levitt Foundation will announce the 15 recipients of the $25,000 matching grant on December 20, 2019. View the top 25 cities at LevittAMP.org.

WORCESTER, MA November 1, 2019 – The Worcester Cultural Coalition, in partnership with the City of Worcester and Green Island Resident Group, Inc., have advanced to the voting round of the Levitt AMP [Your City] grant application process. Should Worcester be awarded one of 15 available grants, the funds will be used to create a 10-week free, live music concert series during the summer of 2020 at Crompton Park.

Supporters are asked to register and vote at levittamp.org/vote  before November 20 at 8 p.m. Once voting closes, the Levitt Foundation will review the Top 25 finalists’ proposals and announce the 15 Levitt AMP 2020 winners on December 20.

The Levitt AMP Worcester Music Series would take place at Crompton Park with weekly concert programming tentatively scheduled for 10 Wednesday evenings beginning June 24, 2020. In addition to live music, the event would feature food vendors, community performances, interactive amenities and more.

“One of the criteria for the Levitt AMP grant is to host a program in an underserved section of your city,” said Yaffa Fain, program assistant of Worcester’s Cultural Development Division. Fain recently completed curation and management of the popular Out To Lunch Festival & Farmers Market series on the Worcester Common during the summer of 2019. “There’s a lot that goes into coordinating performers, vendors, and the public, and it’s great to give people a reason to stop and enjoy what’s going on around them. We’re looking forward to hosting Out To Lunch in 2020, and we’re also excited to hopefully bring a new major summer concert series to Worcester and activate another space in the city,” she said.

A successful campaign for Worcester requires community participation to secure Worcester’s place as one of 25 national finalists. Community support, as measured by the number of online votes received, will be one of the key factors considered when the Levitt Foundation determines the 2020 Levitt AMP Grant Award winners. “We’ll only be able to do this with enough votes,” Fain cautioned.

Worcester’s Crompton Park was selected for several reasons, including proximity to public transit and highways, and renovations currently underway. According to a recent press release from the City of Worcester, Crompton Park is undergoing a $1.4 million renovation, including new accessible pathways, benches and bleachers, safety upgrades, and construction of two NBA-sized basketball courts. “The City of Worcester is investing in making Crompton Park a safe, beautiful, and accessible space. We’re doing our part to make it a fun, creative, and well-used space for everyone,” said Erin Williams, Cultural Development Officer for the City of Worcester.

Sponsored by the Mortimer & Mimi Levitt Foundation, a national foundation dedicated to strengthening the social fabric of America through free live music, the Worcester Cultural Coalition hopes to qualify as one of the Top 25 finalists competing for a $25,000 2020 Levitt AMP [Your City] Grant Award.

The Worcester Cultural Coalition asks supporters to spread the word to family, friends, colleagues and neighbors and to rally the community to sign up and vote for the Levitt AMP Worcester Music series proposal. With the Worcester community’s vote, the Worcester Cultural Coalition is thrilled to offer new, diverse cultural programming to the community.

#ArtsForAll #MakeArtEverywhere #ArtsMatterHere

About the Worcester Cultural Coalition

The Worcester Cultural Coalition (WCC) is a public-private partnership established in 1999 between the City of Worcester and 12 cultural organizations. Today, membership stands at 78 organizations, accounting for more than 2.7 million visitors to Worcester annually. Its mission is to draw on Worcester’s rich and diverse cultural assets to foster economic revitalization, support active, creative engagement for all, and to promote a strong cultural identity for Greater Worcester. The WCC supports and encourages action that meets these creative goals of the Worcester Cultural Plan promoting cultural equity and creative community engagement. Learn more at www.worcesterculturalcoalition.org

About the Levitt AMP [Your City] Grant:

The Levitt AMP [Your City] Grant Awards is matching grant opportunity created by the Levitt Foundation to serve small to mid-sized towns and cities to create thriving community destinations. Grant recipients will each be awarded $25,000 in matching funds to produce their own Levitt AMP Music Series—a free, outdoor concert series featuring a diverse lineup of professional musicians. Learn more at levittamp.org.

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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.  The naming right will include exterior signage on Franklin Street, and will rebrand the arts complex as the Jean McDonough Arts Center.

The theater will offer 5,000+ square feet of flexible performance space, with seating for nearly 300. The black box layout can be customized to suit the needs of individual events, such as theatrical performances, live music, lectures, and special events.

Located at 20 Franklin Street, the theater directly connects to the Worcester PopUp, a creative catalyst and support space which began hosting interactive exhibitions, performances, workshops, and community meetings in April 2018. Its focus is on providing accessible, professional facilities and guidance in the business of art for Worcester’s dynamic spectrum of creatives and entrepreneurs.

Together, these sister spaces with corresponding missions will establish a hub as the Jean McDonough Arts Center: an exciting intersection of community and creativity. Both spaces exist to give residents of all ages and backgrounds the time, space, tools, and training to celebrate and share their cultures while growing their craft. The ultimate goal is to foster community connection and engagement while supporting the growth of the creative economy.

The Jean McDonough Arts Center will support the broader City goals of economic revitalization, creative engagement for all, and promotion of a strong cultural identity for Worcester. These goals are laid out in the City of Worcester’s recently-adopted Cultural Plan, which will be incorporated into the City’s forthcoming Masterplan. This deliberate, proactive partnership between a city and its cultural organizations is one of only a few such alliances in the nation. In a recent discussion of the Plan, Worcester City Manager Edward Augustus noted that, “it’s not just the City government’s plan, it’s a community plan. We all have a role in it.” Augustus went on to say that, “the Worcester renaissance isn’t real unless it includes everyone. We need to make sure that every person, and their gifts, and their talents, are part of that renaissance.”

Erin Williams, Cultural Development Officer for the City of Worcester, echoed Augustus. “We are creating this venue because the WCC members identified a strong need for theater and performance space. Our focus as a City, and our focus as artists and creators, is to make art of all types: dance, theater, music, poetry, film, accessible to the entire community. We’re building on Worcester’s formidable foundations of arts and cultural institutions which means we’re actively working to embed creative thinking, partnerships, and beauty throughout our City. The Cultural Plan does just that: arts for all. We are so grateful to Jean McDonough and family for their impeccable support for the arts and culture in Worcester.”

“I’ve always had a love for regional theater and couldn’t pass up this opportunity to support Worcester’s arts community and bring the stage to life. This new theater and Worcester PopUp tie right into my vision for a vibrant city,” noted Jean McDonough.

“The generosity of the McDonough family helps us fill a need felt in the community—a flexible performance, event and gallery space,” said Honee Hess, Coalition Chair. “The Jean McDonough Arts Center kicks off the City’s Cultural Plan with a bang.”

Construction of the Worcester PopUp and the black box would not have been possible without the generous contribution of many key community organizations and individuals including: the Barr Foundation, the Massachusetts Cultural Council/MassDevelopment Cultural Facilities Fund, the George I. Alden Trust, the Mildred H. McEvoy Foundation, the Jeanne Y. Curtis Charitable Trust, Mary DeFeudis, the Ruth H. and Warren A. Ellsworth Foundation, the Stoddard Charitable Trust, the Fred Harris Daniels Foundation, Massachusetts Housing Investment Corporation, Berkshire Bank, Francis A. & Jacquelyn H. Harrington Foundation, National Grid, The Fletcher Foundation, Bank of America, Fidelity Bank, UniBank for Savings, bankHometown/Millbury Savings Bank, Bay State Savings Bank, WebsterFive, William J. McKee Charitable Foundation, Bradley C. Higgins Foundation, and the Hoche-Scofield Foundation.

Craig L. Blais, President of the Worcester Business Development Corporation says, “I am honored and thrilled to be placing Jean McDonough’s name on the front of a prominent downtown Worcester property.  On behalf of the WBDC, I am humbled and grateful for this generous contribution.”

Each year, the City of Worcester becomes more of a hub for cultural and creative life in New England. An estimated $125.7 million is spent in museums, shops, theatres, and restaurants by locals and nearly 3 million visitors annually. In Worcester’s downtown alone, recent public and private investments are in the hundreds-of-millions of dollars. When paired with the comparative costs of living and doing business in nearby metropolitan areas, as well as increasing transportation options and the ever-expanding creative economy, Worcester is a City which actively attracts new businesses and a young, diverse, educated workforce.

#ArtsForAll #MakeArtEverywhere #ArtsMatterHere

About the Worcester Cultural Coalition

The Worcester Cultural Coalition (WCC) is a public-private partnership established in 1999 between the City of Worcester and 12 cultural organizations. Today, membership stands at 78 organizations, accounting for more than 2.7 million visitors to Worcester annually. Its mission is to draw on Worcester’s rich and diverse cultural assets to foster economic revitalization, support active, creative engagement for all, and to promote a strong cultural identity for Greater Worcester. The WCC supports and encourages action that meets these creative goals of the Worcester Cultural Plan promoting cultural equity and creative community engagement.

www.worcesterculturalcoalition.org

About the Worcester PopUp

The Worcester PopUp is an exciting new intersection of community and creativity comprised of 3,500 historic-storefront square feet of flexible exhibition, performance, workshop, creative experimentation, and meeting space, and an additional 9,000+ square feet (seating for up to 289) devoted to what will be the City’s only black-box theater. The PopUp exists to give people of all ages and backgrounds the time, space, tools, and training to celebrate and share their cultures and to create their futures. By doing so, it fosters community connection and engagement that in turn supports the shared goals of economic revitalization, creative engagement for all, cultural equity and promotion of a strong cultural identity for Greater Worcester.

This “permanent popup” space offers a place for local artists, organizations, and creatives to create, display, and develop a variety of creative-based events ranging from art shows, open mics, music performances, and more. In its first year of operation it hosted over 125 events.

www.worcesterpopup.org

About Worcester Business Development Corporation

On July 19, 1965, the Worcester Business Development Corporation (WBDC) was founded by a large group of public-minded citizens. The mission of this organization was to collaborate with community officials in the Greater Worcester area to create a comprehensive approach to the economic challenges that face a community. In the spirit of civic responsibility, the WBDC was established to serve as an innovative and leading force in the economic development of the City of Worcester and the region, expanding the tax base through the creation and promotion of employment opportunities, while assisting in the development and growth of business and industry. Grounded in a tradition of economic development accomplishment, the WBDC has played a key role in strengthening the Worcester region’s position as an economic leader in Massachusetts. Through targeted investment and strategic partnering, the WBDC brings skills and resources to challenging and complex projects. The WBDC looks forward to assisting in the planning and development of this exciting project.

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Media Contact:

Erin Williams, Cultural Development Officer

Cultural Development Division, City of Worcester

WilliamsE@WorcesterMA.gov

508.826.1145

Lisa Drexhage, Project Manager

Worcester Business Development Corporation

drexhage@worcesterbdc.com

508-755-5734

The post Naming Rights for Downtown Theater at 20 Franklin Street appeared first on WCC.

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 Tuesday, June 25, 2019 to adopt item 11B which was a recommendation by the City Manager’s office to adopt to the first ever cultural plan for the City of Worcester. The City, the Worcester Cultural Coalition, and the Greater Worcester Community Foundation will all take the next steps in executing the plan.

The City of Worcester, in partnership with Greater Worcester Community Foundation and the Worcester Cultural Coalition, is pleased to announce the completion of the City of Worcester Cultural Plan, “Becoming Worcester: The Evolution of a Creative City.”

A year in the making, the Cultural Plan is a foundational document for municipal cultural planning and service delivery in Worcester. The plan is primarily funded by the Barr Foundation through its Creative Commonwealth Initiative, the Worcester Cultural Coalition, and is a fulfillment of the City’s cultural compact with the Massachusetts Cultural Council, which was designed to “promote a shared vision for cities and towns to recognize the power of culture and make communities better places for people to live, work and thrive.”

“The Worcester Cultural Plan is unique in that it is embedded in the City’s Masterplan,” noted City Manager Edward M. Augustus Jr. “Arts and culture are catalysts for creative economic development, embedding art into our streetscapes and design, lifting up our rich immigrant experiences and shining a spotlight on all we offer, knowing that great cities embrace arts and culture.”

While the plan lays out 90 strategies over 10 years, 20 strategic priorities were identified as actionable for 2020 by the City, GWCF, and the Worcester Cultural Coalition. Priorities include shaping cohesive branding and imaging for the “Worcester Story”; engaging “9-to-5ers” in the downtown area through increased offerings and activities; and designing and launching an in-artist residence program to incorporate creative design on the front-end of projects in municipal government, business, and neighborhoods.

“This plan will enable Worcester to take full advantage of the opportunities for quality of life and economic development that a robust arts, culture and creative sector can bring,” said Ann T. Lisi, CEO and President of Greater Worcester Community Foundation. “Providing a clear strategy regarding our cultural resources, we hope this plan can be a model for others in the Commonwealth to take action in strengthening the arts and culture presence in their communities.”

The Worcester Cultural Plan involved months of community engagement with citizens, organizations, businesses, and others. Hundreds of individuals participated in forums, discussions, and surveys to develop the plan. Facilitation was provided by a consultant team led by Tom Borrup of Creative Community Builders, specialists in cultural development. An advisory team managed the process and has formed cross-sector working groups to oversee implementation, measure progress, identify resources, and inform modifications.

“Arts and culture brings our city to life, helps us vision and experience the world in new ways, provides healing and gives voice to all. That is why the time is right for a new Cultural Plan which embraces the arts as not just nice, but necessary for Worcester to thrive and evolve into a truly creative city,” noted Erin Williams, Cultural Development Officer for the City of Worcester.

The Cultural Plan was shared with City Council officials on June 25, 2019.

View the full Cultural Plan          View the Executive Summary

The post A Cultural Plan for the City of Worcester, Massachusetts appeared first on WCC.