MGC Commissioners, Staff Join Mass Cultural Center in Celebrating $3.66M in Grant Awards for Performing Arts Centers
- April 18, 2024
- by MGC Communications
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Last week, Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) Interim Chair Jordan Maynard, Commissioner Brad Hill, and Executive Director Dean Serpa were on hand at Worcester’s Hanover Theatre and Conservatory as the Mass Cultural Council announced awards of $3.66M to performing arts centers across the Commonwealth. The grants were awarded with monies allocated from casino gaming revenue taxes.
Fifty-eight nonprofit or municipal performing arts centers across 39 cities and towns received grant awards, which ranged from $6,000 to $200,000. Check out the full list of award recipients here.
Thrilled to be celebrating new Gaming Mitigation Fund grants with @MassGamingComm and grantees in Worcester at the @HanoverTheatre this afternoon! #PowerOfCulture #mapoli https://t.co/EhriZwqw2N pic.twitter.com/vzfTqrJXEn
— Mass Cultural Council (@masscultural) April 8, 2024
“Supporting our performing arts centers is a strategic investment in the vitality of our communities,” said Michael J. Bobbitt, the Executive Director of the Mass Cultural Council.
“These organizations serve as hubs of creativity, offering transformative experiences that entertain, educate, and inspire audiences of all ages. By supporting these institutions, we not only preserve our cultural heritage but also foster innovation, economic growth, and social cohesion, ensuring a vibrant and enriching future for generations to come.”
Interim Chair Maynard echoed Director Bobbitt’s statement of investment and opportunity in his remarks to the assembled audience. Maynard shared personal stories from his childhood in eastern Kentucky where his family had limited access to live performing arts, emphasizing the vital and tangible impact these grants will have on communities across Massachusetts.
“The Massachusetts Cultural Council is an exceptional agency in the Commonwealth, providing critical support to arts and culture organizations from the Cape to the Berkshires,” Maynard said.
“The MGC is proud to partner with the Mass Cultural Council by advancing efforts to provide nonprofits and municipalities with grants to bring more touring programs and acts to Massachusetts.”
The Expanded Gaming Act of 2011 allocates 2% of taxes collected on gross gaming revenues from Category 1 Resort-Casino Licensees to the Mass Cultural Council. Over the last three grant cycles, more than $10M has been awarded to 50-plus organizations statewide through the Mass Cultural Council.
To learn more about the Mass Cultural Council and their mission to advance “the Commonwealth’s creative and cultural sector by celebrating traditions and talents, championing its collective needs, and equitably investing public resources,” visit their website here.