Mass. artists receive grants, concerns remain
BOSTON (WWLP) – The Massachusetts Cultural Council gave out nearly 450 grants to artists at the State House on Monday.
While the event primarily celebrated the $5000 unrestricted grants, speakers touched on the challenges of paying the bills for creative sector salaries.
The cultural council's leadership explained that the median income of people working in the creative sector is well below the living wage in the Bay State. He used the example of dancers, whose median income from dancing is just $7000 per year.
Despite these challenges, the event emphasized the importance of the artist's work and the organization's commitment to continue to provide grants and other support.
'This is about investing in bold ideas, fresh perspectives, and the cultural momentum that drives progress, and that is all of you,' said Michael Bobbitt, Executive Director of the Mass Cultural Council.
Another speaker, the state treasurer, spoke to artists in the audience about keeping their heads up, even as federal funding for programs deemed 'wasteful,' like many arts programs, is cut or eliminated. 'Don't let them get you down. We're in difficult times. It isn't going to get easier to get funds, but to quote my mom, 'grim perseverance,'' said Treasurer Deb Goldberg.
Lawmakers at the event promised onlookers that Massachusetts' government values the arts and will continue to fund opportunities for artists to thrive.
WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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