New Cultural Council Chair Gears Up for Next Round of Applications

The deadline for applications to the Melrose Cultural Council is fast approaching.  Melrose Patch sat down with the council's new chair, retired chemist Jim Wilson, to talk about the council's mission statement and who's eligible to apply.

Melrose Patch: What is the Melrose Cultural Council?

Jim Wilson: The Melrose Cultural Council is the local branch of the Massachusetts Cultural Council, responsible for the disbursement of state funding for cultural activities in the city. The money comes from profits from the state lottery and is regulated under strict guidelines by the state.

Melrose Patch: What is the city's typical annual allocation from the state?

Wilson: Typically Melrose gets between $7,000-8,000 annually. That money varies of course depending on the state budget. This year we received $6,800. That's down slightly from last year.

Melrose Patch: Who are the members?

Wilson: This year there are 12 people on the committee. Anyone can become a member, but we have really been trying to look for people with a strong background and knowledge of the arts. We have also found that it's been good to have people on with a good business sense or financial background, that seems to make up a good balance. We really want to try to bridge that gap between the business community and the arts.

It's an all-volunteer group and while it doesn't require a huge commitment time-wise, we want to make sure that people are passionate about bringing good programs to the city. We are always looking for diversity as well and always look for people with different back rounds. We also feel that it's extremely important to have diversity because that helps us to help distribute the money more broadly and helps us connect to all age groups.

Melrose Patch: Who can apply for a grant?

Wilson: Anyone really can apply, but the council looks hard at the benefits and ties to the community. I would say about one-third of the applications come in from out-of-city residents and we have to make sure that what will be funded will be a local activity … if not then that's cause for rejection.

Melrose Patch: So then, what does the committee look for when deciding what gets funded?

Wilson: The state has strict regulations and a number of guidelines that we have to follow, but the basic ones include public benefit; that the program be non-discriminatory; that there's no substitution; and that it's non-dependant, meaning that the program is either sustainable or has some additional funding. But that aside, the council really is leery of a grant that comes in without a budget or venue. We really want to see that it's well thought out and planned. In other words, if you were going to say have an children's concert at the library, we want to know that you have confirmed the date with the library and your budget is in place to make that happen. Then we basically have a three-step process for grading the grant and accessing how much money will go to each program.

Melrose Patch: How did you become involved in the council?

Wilson: I had retired and my neighbor Nancy Kukura (a former MCC member and organizer of the Melrose JazzFest) had encouraged me to join the council since she knew that I had a strong music back round (bluegrass trumpet). I stepped up to the plate to chair the council after the last chair, Demi Dubois's, tenure was nearly over. I co-chaired with Demi last year.

Melrose Patch: What do you want to see the council accomplish during your tenure?

Wilson: I would really love to see the council get more involved with other groups in the city. I would love to see more of a connection between the businesses and artists and wonder if there is a way that the council can help with this. I would also love to see us do some kind of community-wide fundraising effort where we can perhaps give away some scholarships. This really is a vibrant arts community and anything the council can do to continue to make it stronger would be great.

The deadline for applying for a MCC grant is next Friday, Oct. 15. To get an application online go to www.massculturalcouncil.org.