Governor Patrick Announces $5 Million in Grants for Massachusetts Cultural Facilities Fund
July 2, 2012
Contacts:
Gregory Liakos, Massachusetts Cultural Council, 617-727-3668 x343
Kelsey Abbruzzese, MassDevelopment, 617-330-2086 & 617-488-9077 (cell)
Boston, MA – Governor Deval Patrick today announced more than $5 million in grants to support building projects for nonprofit arts, history, and science organizations across Massachusetts.
Grants from the Massachusetts Cultural Facilities Fund (CFF) will support repairs, improvements, and expansions for 56 cultural organizations that create jobs and improve the quality of life in cities and towns across the Commonwealth. The organizations funded in this round expect to invest $414 million in their projects.
Grants will range from $7,000 to $250,000, and must be matched with funds from private and/or other public sources. See the full list of projects.
“These grants will create new jobs in our nonprofit cultural sector, expanding tourism and helping to revitalize our communities,” said Governor Patrick. “Our investments will support our many cultural organizations across the state and allow them to better serve the public for generations to come.”
The Governor will join the Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC), MassDevelopment, state legislators, and representatives from the cultural organizations at grant receptions Tuesday, July 17 at 10:15 a.m. at Mass Audubon’s Broadmoor Wildlife Sanctuary in Natick; and Wednesday, July 18 at 10 a.m. at the Cape Ann Museum in Gloucester. Additional grant receptions will be scheduled in Boston, Falmouth, Worcester, and Pittsfield later this summer.
CFF supports a nonprofit creative sector that employs 27,100 people, spends $2.1 billion annually, and generates another $2.5 billion of economic activity across Massachusetts, according to a 2011 study by the New England Foundation for the Arts.
Organizations that received past CFF grants are spending more than $800 million on their building projects, providing more than 11,000 building jobs to architects, engineers, contractors, and carpenters. The organizations also plan to add more than 1,150 permanent jobs after their capital projects are complete.
CFF grants have also helped restore many of our nation’s most treasured historic structures, which attract cultural tourists to Massachusetts. More than 15 million people visit organizations receiving these grants annually, nearly one third who come from out-of-state.
“We thank the Governor for his continued commitment to our nonprofit cultural organizations and the public they serve,” said Anita Walker, MCC Executive Director. “CFF provides a real economic boost to a sector that already adds so much to our quality of life.”
“Investing in the Commonwealth’s cultural institutions from Cape Cod to the Berkshires, makes economic sense,” said MassDevelopment President and CEO Marty Jones. “Working to maintain and improve these facilities will continue to draw visitors to Massachusetts and provide creative outlets and activities for residents.”
About MCC
The Massachusetts Cultural Council is a state agency supporting the arts, humanities, and sciences to improve the quality of life in Massachusetts and its communities. The MCC pursues this mission through grants, services, and advocacy for nonprofit cultural organizations, schools, communities, and artists.
About MassDevelopment
MassDevelopment, the state’s finance and development agency, works with businesses, nonprofits, financial institutions, and communities to stimulate economic growth across the Commonwealth. During FY2011, MassDevelopment financed or managed more than 300 projects generating investment of $3.8 billion in the Massachusetts economy. These projects are projected to create more than 10,000 jobs (2,547 permanent and 8,129 construction), and build or rehabilitate more than 1,000 residential units.
