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 Art Museum Exhibition Reaches New Frontiers
Written by Mallory Trainor, Intern with the City of Worcester’s Cultural Development Division, spring 2023 On March 30th, 2023, the Worcester Art Museum’s (WAM) newest exhibition, Frontiers of Impressionism, opened for a press preview. As an intern with the City of Worcester’s Cultural Development Division, I was graciously invited to explore the exhibit along with […]
Barr Foundation to Continue Funding JMAC Access Grants
The Worcester Cultural Coalition will receive an additional $175,000 in 2023 to further expand equitable use of the Jean McDonough Arts Center. WORCESTER, MA – January 11, 2023 Thanks to a successful 2022 partnership, the Barr Foundation will continue to support the Worcester Cultural Coalition’s goal of equitable use of the Jean McDonough Arts Center […]
Gifting Local Guide • 2022
The Worcester Cultural Coalition’s members make it easy to support the local economy this holiday season – read on for suggestions to give the gift of culture! Jump to: Holiday Experiences • Creative Fun + Education • Cultural Institutions • Memberships + Subscriptions • Music Performances • Tangible Gifts • Theatre Holiday Experiences If […]
Worcester PopUp Presents New Childhood-Inspired Exhibit, “Bouncy House Time Machine”
September 12, 2022 | WORCESTER, MA – The Jean Mcdonough Arts Center will be hosting Bouncy House Time Machine from September 14th to October 6th, with an opening reception on September 15th from 6 to 10 pm. Guests for this reception can look forward to a playfully interactive evening of art, balloons, and an adult-friendly […]
Worcester Cultural Coalition, Jean McDonough Arts Center Announce Third Round One-Day Sponsorship Recipients
Part of a year-long Barr Foundation-funded accessibility initiative, One-Day Sponsorships subsidize all venue costs and provide local creatives $2,500 in discretionary funding.
Take the Worcester Arts Council’s 2022 Funding Priorities Survey & Enter to Win Ray-Ban Sunglasses
The Worcester Arts Council (WAC) is seeking community input on arts and culture in Worcester through its 2022 Funding Priorities Survey. The online survey is open now through August 8, 2022, and can be completed at: https://tinyurl.com/WACSurvey2022. Responses to this brief survey will help determine WAC’s funding priorities for its 2023 grant cycle, which opens […]
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 […]
PRETTY POWERFUL: A Peek into the Past of Worcester Women
Written by Sarah Lolya, Intern with the City of Worcester’s Cultural Development Division, winter 2022 On October 26, 2021, The Worcester Historical Museum opened PRETTY POWERFUL – an exploration and celebration of the 100th anniversary of women’s right to vote, as seen through fashion. As an intern with the City of Worcester’s Cultural Development Division, […]
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 […]
Worcester Windows Announces the Wonder Women of Worcester Exhibit, Opening October 7, 2021
WORCESTER, MA – September 29, 2021 – Through its Worcester Windows program, the JMAC and Worcester Cultural Coalition, in partnership with the City of Worcester Advisory Committee on the Status of Women and ArtReach announce the opening exhibit of the “Wonder Women of Worcester” poster exhibit. Wonder Women of Worcester will be on display […]
Worcester Creative Giving Campaign
Gift the power of creativity to Worcester organizations this December. WORCESTER, MA – The Worcester Cultural Coalition (WCC) is launching the first Worcester Creative Giving Campaign, an initiative which amplifies the fundraising efforts of dozens of local arts and cultural organizations. The Campaign will run December 1 – December 31, 2020. The public can learn […]
Worcester Cultural Coalition Annual Report: 2020
2020 was a year of many challenges which continue today: a pandemic which threatens our health and livelihoods, racial and social injustice, and the fragile nature of our collective purpose: creative community engagement. Thanks to nearly 80 organizations working together, the WCC’s mission to bring vibrancy and creativity to the region has endured, and we […]
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 […]
A Message from WCC Executive Director Erin Williams and President of the Board Tracy Kraus – June 4, 2020
Dear Worcester: 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 […]
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 […]
JMAC Mentee & Intern Calls
Now Hiring: Mentee & Intern Opportunities at the Worcester PopUp & BrickBox Theatre The Worcester PopUp is a “permanent popup” space offering a place for local artists, organizations, and creatives to develop a variety of events ranging from art shows and open mics to yoga classes, lessons in drag, and more. Thanks to its funders, […]
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, […]
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. […]
WAM Blog: Move Oolong, Nothing to Tea Here
I’m sipping from one of my novelty tea mugs as I write this update. Though I drink a hot Earl Grey nearly every morning, I never stopped to think about what I am drinking from (beyond joy at an odd cat mug, of course). At the start of my summer internship here at the Worcester […]
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 […]