Senator Paul R. Feeney and Mimi Connell, chair of the Walpole Cultural Council, have announced the award of 22 grants totaling $10,283, for cultural programs in Walpole. A complete list of recipients and grant amounts follows.
The Walpole Cultural Council 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.
Decisions about which activities to support are made at the community level by a board of municipally appointed volunteers. The members of the Walpole Cultural Council are: Mimi Connell (Chair). Lynne Chiodo (Secretary), Elizabeth Chase, Mary Cullinane, Clodagh Drummey, Sarah McCracken, and Chris Weylman. This year, following a community survey, the Walpole Cultural Council prioritized programming in the areas of music; nature and science; and cultural diversity.
“Local cultural councils are the bedrock of arts and culture in our communities and provide funding, and support that is critical for the many activities that breathe life into our communities. It is no secret that local arts and cultural organizations were particularly constrained during the COVID-19 pandemic, both financially and due to gathering restrictions. As a supporter and advocate for this statewide funding in our budget each year, I am thrilled to see it being put to good use by the Walpole Cultural Council for so many deserving arts and cultural organizations. I look forward to experiencing many of these programs and activities in-person and will continue to keep the priorities of our arts and cultural organizations close to my heart as I continue to serve in the Senate," said Senator Paul R. Feeney.
Statewide, more than $3.3 million will be distributed by local cultural councils in 2022. Grants will support an enormous range of grass-roots 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 Walpole Cultural Council will seek applications again in the fall. Applications and more information about the Local Cultural Council Program are available online at www.mass-culture.org. Questions about the Walpole Cultural Council can be directed to walpolelcc@gmail.com.
This year's grants include: Boylston Schul-Verein, Deutsche Volkslieder (German Folk Songs) and Weihnachtskonzert (Christmas Concert); Chefiatou Tokou, Building a Creative Mind through African Dance for Individual Mental Health and Community Growth; David Polatin, “Swingin’ Sixties - Women Singers Find their Voice” ; Edward L. Cope, Jr. / Ed the Wizard, Impromptu Magic for Camping ; Eleanor N. Johnson Middle School, Mobile Digital Creation Studio ; Friends of Francis William (Bird) Park, Concerts at the Music Court ; Friends of the Walpole Public Library, Inc., Humanities; Friends of the Walpole Public Library, Inc., Music Series; Gazebo Players of Medfield, Summer Shakespeare in the Park; Howard Newman, Musical Baseball Show; Museum of American Bird Art at Mass Audubon, Nature in Your Neighborhood ; MUSIC Dance.edu, Hip Hop Dance Chair Exercise for Seniors!; Old Post Road School, Crocodile River Music and Dance Program; Rachel Daly, Monday Night Live - Broadway and the Classics; Sean Fullerton, Acoustic Memories For Seniors; Sharon Community Chorus, Inc., Holiday & Pops Concert; Stephen Lewis, Black Leaders - An International Poster Exhibit; The Road to Diversity and Understanding, Abolition Day Celebration; Voices United Mixed Chorus, Voices United Walpole; Walpole Children's Theatre, Inc., 2022 Season; Walpole Footlighters, Inc., Walpole Footlighters 2022 Productions; and Walpole Historical Commission, Stories of Historic Walpole
