Mass Cultural Council is now announcing fall grant opportunities for individual artists, teaching artists, nonprofit organizations and more. See below to find links to these funding opportunities. Each of these pages will describe the program, link to the program guidelines for FY22, and have the key dates and info sessions for applicants.
The Artist Fellowships are unrestricted awards to in recognition of exceptional creative work by Massachusetts artists. This year, Mass Cultural Council is committing over $1 million to the Artist Fellowships, with the goal of doubling the artists funded through the program. The Fellowship grants are $15,000. Finalist awards will increase this year from $1,500 to $5,000.
In all categories except Traditional Arts, the Artist Fellowships are judged anonymously. Independent review panels make grant decisions based on the artistic quality and creative ability of the original work submitted. (In Traditional Arts, the review is not anonymous, there is additional review criteria, and the submitted work does not need to be original.)
Mass Cultural Council is offering STARS Residencies grants of $700-$5,500 for the 2021-2022 school year. STARS Residencies supports K-12 schools to provide residencies of three days or more that bring students and teachers together with practicing artists, scientists, and scholars to learn through rich, creative experiences.
These residencies help youth build confidence, discover hidden talents, explore the natural world, understand their place in history, and rise as leaders in their community. Any K-12 school recognized by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education with a 2021-2022 ESE School ID is eligible to apply.
In FY22, Mass Cultural Council will invest $4.8 million into the Local Cultural Council (LCC) Program, the nation’s largest grassroots cultural funding network. Through this program, 329 LCCs — representing every city and town in Massachusetts — support some 6,000 public projects annually that include everything from field trips to lectures, festivals, and dance performances.
Allocations to LCCs range from $5,000 to $266,500, based on a formula that reflects state aid to municipalities.
CIP Projects grants provide a 1-year grant to support cultural projects that benefit the public. In order to respond to the unique needs of the cultural sector during these challenging times, applicants can either apply for a project grant for public programming OR for capacity building. Unlike the CIP Portfolio or Gateway, these awards do not provide general operating support. (A cultural organization is not eligible for a Projects grant if it will receive Portfolio or Gateway funding in FY22.)
Projects grantees will receive a grant of $2,500 to support a specific public project or capacity building project.
Festivals celebrate the essence of our local communities. From cultural celebrations to art fairs and holiday strolls, they provide opportunities to bring people together for shared experiences in the arts and culture. FY22 festival grants have increased from $500 to $1,500 in recognition of the hard work of event producers and understanding that festivals are the fabric of communities.
The Fall/Winter Festivals Program grant round will support festivals that take place between September 1, 2021 and February 28, 2022.