Seekonk, Swansea Cultural Council Receive Grants

Representative Steven Howitt announced that the Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC) has awarded grants totaling $18,950 to cultural organizations, schools and communities in his district.

He reflected that these grants support a wide variety of cultural activities and projects that will benefit local residents, while supporting jobs in the nonprofit cultural sector. This announcement was made as part of MCC’s statewide funding program. The funding program will benefit in 2014 from a $1.6 million increase to its state appropriation approved by the Legislature which was signed by Governor Deval Patrick this past July.

“MCC grants will help to ensure that the unique cultural resources in our Towns of Norton, Rehoboth, Seekonk and Swansea as well as the extraordinary cultural activity across the Commonwealth continue to thrive and benefit our citizens today and for years to come,” Representative Howitt said. “The impact of state support for the arts, humanities and sciences is significant and critical to the very core of artistic and academic pursuits. I’m truly pleased to announce these new grants today.”

Included below is information on the four local Cultural Councils which are benefitting from MCC grants in 2014 along with contact information for those wishing to learn more:

Norton Cultural Council, $5,490

Naomi Viglas, Chair

Town Hall

70 E. Main Street

Norton, MA 02766-2320

508/285-0200

Rehoboth Cultural Council, $4,250

Maureen Whittemore, Chair

Town Hall

148R Peck Street

Rehoboth, MA 02769

508/252-5860

Seekonk Cultural Council, $4,250

William Clark, Chair

Seekonk Town Hall

100 Peck Street

Seekonk, MA 02771-5199

508/761-6482

Swansea Cultural Council, $4,960

Debbie Fiore, Chair

Swansea Town Hall

81 Main Street

Swansea, MA 02777-4616

508/6789877

These local grants were part of MCC’s $10 million statewide investment in nonprofits in the cultural sector. The MCC is a state agency supporting the arts, sciences, and humanities, to improve the quality of life in Massachusetts and its communities. 

It pursues its mission through a combination of grants, services, and advocacy for nonprofit cultural organizations, schools, communities, and artists. MCC's total budget for the current fiscal year (2013) is $11.2 million, which includes annual grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and other sources. 

For more information, please visit www.massculturalcouncil.org where you can also find more information on their important investments in the sector.