Needham Council for Arts and Culture Awards Grants

NEEDHAM – Tuesday, February 15, 2022 -- The Needham Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC) has awarded 20 grants totaling $8,600 in cultural programming that provides public benefit to Needham. This year saw an increase in both funding and applications ranging from a music series at the Needham Housing Authority to pandemic-related community art therapy workshops. A complete list of recipients is below.

"The Council is proud of the record interest in the program this year, and we’re so excited to award these grants to such a diverse group of organizations,” said Charly Nanda, Co-Chair of the NCAC. “We’re thrilled to help bring these creative ideas to life.”

The NCAC received 36 applications, a 25 percent increase over last year. Given the increased interest in arts and culture programming in the community, the NCAC added to their total grant funding allocated by the Mass Cultural Council. Decisions about which activities to support are made at the community level by a board of municipally appointed volunteers. Granting priorities for 2022 included applications that address the needs of underserved or in-need groups and those who elevate the diverse voices and experiences of historically marginalized populations. The NCAC also prioritized applicants that are suffering because of the economic impact of Covid-19.

For 2022, the NCAC has committed to focusing on community and civic engagement projects that connect Needham residents through community events, grantmaking, and public art projects.

The Needham Council for Arts and Culture is part of a network of 329 Local Cultural Councils serving all 351 cities and towns in the Commonwealth. The LCC Program is the largest grassroots cultural funding network in the nation, supporting thousands of community-based projects in the arts, sciences, and humanities every year. The state legislature provides an annual appropriation to the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency, which then allocates funds to each community.

Statewide, $4 million will be distributed to 6,000 programs by local cultural councils in 2022. Grants support an enormous range of cultural activities: concerts, exhibitions, radio and video productions, field trips for school children, after-school youth programs, writing workshops, historical preservation efforts, lectures, First Night celebrations, nature and science education programs for families and town festivals. Nearly half of LCC funds support educational activities for young people.

The Needham Council for Arts and Culture will seek applications again in the fall. For guidelines and complete information visit needhamma.gov or contact needhamartsandculture@gmail.com. Applications and more information about the Local Cultural Council Program are also available online at www.mass-culture.org.

2022 Grant Recipients include:

• Haitian author Joseph Policape shares his writing at the Needham Free Library
• The Museum of American Bird Art at Mass Audubon presents Nature in Your Neighborhood
• Community Discussions by At My Neighbor's Table Conversation Series
• Dedham Choral Society’s Winter and Spring Concerts
• Storytime Crafts’ Book Donation Center & Volunteer Workspace
• Tova Speter’s pandemic related Therapeutic Art Workshops
• John Lechner’s A Bug's Eye View art exhibit and puppet show at Gorse Mills Studio.
• A Music Festival at Needham Housing Authority
• Witness, A new virtual work by Needham’s Russian Theater group, Arlekin Players Theatre
• The Delvena Theatre Company’s Lizzie Borden and the 40 Whacks at Center at the Heights
• The Highland Glee Club’s Winter Concert- A Holiday Songfest
• Discovery Museum’s Open-Door Connections for Needham families facing financial hardship
• Needham Diversity Initiative’s MLK Day Celebration
• Adina Troen-Krasnow’s free community art workshops Making Art One Tile at a Time
• Plugged In Band Program’s band classes that focus on music and social activism
• Needham Art Association’s Monthly Artist Demonstrations and Community Service Projects
• The Needham Concert Society’s Promoting Classical Music Concerts
• Sean Fullerton’s Acoustic Memories for Seniors at the Center for the Heights
• A Creative Dance Residency for students with disabilities by Valerie Maio
• Needham Historical Society’s Brilliant Beacons: A History of the American Lighthouse, with Eric Jay Dolin.

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