October round up from Massachusetts Cultural Council

Shelburne Falls and Lowell Named “Great Places in America”

The American Planning Association selected Lowell and Shelburne Falls as two of their 15 “2018 Great Places in America.” This honor distinguishes the neighborhoods, streets, and public spaces that make communities stronger and bring people together through good planning. The APA says that the awardees “illustrate how a community coming together creates lasting value.”
 
Congratulations to the two Mass Cultural Council-designated cultural districts – Lowell’s Canalway Cultural District and Shelburne Falls Cultural District – and their cultural communities!

Free Webinar Series

Each session consists of a 30-minute presentation followed by an open conversation among participants.

• By Artists, For Artists Report – October 17, 11am
  Kathy Bitteti, artist, co-founder of Massachusetts Artists Leaders Coalition, and Lead Author of the By Artists, For Artists report, shares the outcome of their survey and next steps. The By Artists, For Artists project was designed to highlight the contributions and needs of those who make the Commonwealth a creative and dynamic place to live and to work.
  Register
   
• Raising Visibility through Festivals – November 21, 11am
  Considering organizing a festival in your community? Hear how the Northborough and Belchertown Cultural Councils engaged their community  and municipality on the planning of their festivals.
  Register

A Sense of Place

Culture elevates the quality of life and well-being in our communities. It is also vital to a “Sense of Place,” our deepest connections to the places where we live, work, and visit. Watch Giles Li, Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center Executive Director, discuss “A Sense of Place” at the Mass Cultural Council Institute earlier this year. (Video of the entire session is also online.)

OPPORTUNITIES

Online applications for Massachusetts Cultural Facilities Fund grants open on October 12, 2018.

MassInc hosted its Sixth Annual Gateway Cities Innovation Institute Summit & Awards Luncheon in New Bedford on October 17, 2018. This year’s theme was Pioneering Strategies for 21st Century Growth.  Learn more.

ArtWeek exploded statewide last spring with over 525 creative experiences in 130 towns and neighborhoods, working with cultural districts and local cultural councils to celebrate the our creative Commonwealth. The next ArtWeek is April 25 – May 6, 2019, and every community is invited to get involved. Want to explore the possibilities? Go to artweekma.org or contact artweek@bochcenter.org to learn more.

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