FOR RELEASE: Jan. 27, 2012

BROCKTON - Grants to 31 organizations, schools and individuals were announced today by the Brockton Cultural Council.  Totaling over $44,000, the grants support arts, humanities and interpretive sciences activities aimed at a broad spectrum of the public.
 
Members of the Brockton Cultural Council are volunteers who are appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the City Council for three-year terms.  Current members are Co-Chairs David Bloodsworth and Nathania Onyeagoro; Secretary Virginia Mahoney and Treasurer Donna Eleyi.     All are Brockton residents.

This year’s grants ranged from $6850 to the Brockton Library Foundation to underwrite its museum pass program and create audio tours of historic library murals to $200 to writer Bruce Watson for a program about Sacco and Vanzetti, Italian immigrants arrested in Brockton and executed for murder in 1927, despite worldwide protests of their innocence.

In addition to individuals and organizations, nine Brockton schools received cultural council “field trip” grants to provide admission for students on a wide range of school trips to cultural venues.

In late 2011, a yearlong review of the grantmaking process in Brockton began, in order to examine how the cultural council can help expand arts and cultural programming in the city. Council members and supporters hope to conduct a series of public meetings and workshops in 2012 as part of the review.
 
Included in the council's self-assessment was a survey of grantmaking from 1998-2011, taking into account whom has benefitted from cultural council grants for the past thirteen years.  All such records are available online at mass-culture.org/Brockton. Of the 31 recipients of 2012 grants, twenty-three previously have received local cultural council grants.  One of the stated purposes of such funds is to provide "seed money" for a maximum of 3 years for new projects to get off the ground.  In many cases, those who have been repeat grantees over the years have sought to expand the range of their programming and come up with new projects over time, said outgoing council administrator Jill Wiley. "The area of 'repeat grants', however," noted Wiley, " is one the council can address in 'creative conversations' with the community in the coming year."  

[A complete list of 2012 grantees is available below along with 13-year totals where applicable]

A number of other questions were raised in the most recent grantmaking process conducted from the application deadline of October 15 through December 19, 2011 when  decisions were voted upon. 
               -------One question had to do with the value of providing funds for trips to venues out of Brockton  
               vis-a-vis  devoting  funds to enhancing Brockton's own cultural offerings. 
               -------Another question raised had to do with "what was entertainment?" and what qualified as
               “cultural”.  While the Massachusetts Cultural Council, which provides the state appropriated funds, 
               allows each of the 351 councils to make its own decisions there is an expectation that funds go to
               projects that prioritize greater understanding of arts, humanities and interpretive sciences over 
               financing strictly commercial-type entertainment.

               More information about the Brockton Cultural Council and the Massachusetts Cultural Council can be 
               found at mass-culture.org.

2012 GRANTS followed by total $$$ for period from 1998-2011
Brockton Library Foundation: $6,850 ($49,390)
Mayor’s Office for Community Cultural Affairs: $4400 ($136,676)
Brockton Symphony Orchestra: $4,500 ($111,334)
Brockton Church and Community Afterschool Program: $1000 (first time)
Friends of the Council on Aging fine arts classes $600  ($1000)                                                                     Brockton Historical Society: $1500 ($14,100)
DW Fields Park Association: $2000 ($6765)
Brockton Library programs: $900 ($1834)
Fuller Craft Museum: $1160 ($108,329) 
Greater Brockton Society for Poetry and the Arts: $1800 ($1700)
Handel and Haydn Society: $800 ($7150)
Living Independently for Equality: $1914 ($19,019)
MIT Women’s Initiative: $1000 (first time)
Bruce Watson: $250 (first time)
Brockton High School/MA State Dramafest Qtr. finals: $500  ($2060)
Children’s Museum of Easton: $500 ($2450)
Hanson Children’s Museum: $500 (first time)
Jubilate Chorale: $750 ($9850)
MA Audubon Society: $300 (first time)
Richard Clark   $475 ($1550)                                                                                                                                 South Shore Arts Fest: $200 (first time)
Trinity Academy: $794 ($600)
FIELD TRIP GRANTS
Angelo School $462 ($8003)
Ashfield Middle School  $1155 ($2210)
E.B. Davis Community School $1088 ($700)
Goddard School $1417 ($3700)
Mary E. Baker School $1100 ($9015)
Oscar Raymond School $1760 ($12,465)
Plouffe Academy $1442 ($13,954)
South Middle School  $375 ($7480)
Trinity Catholic Academy $700 ($500)