GOVERNOR PATRICK CELEBRATES CONTINUED SUPPORT FOR CULTURAL FACILITIES ACROSS MASSACHUSETTS

GOVERNOR PATRICK CELEBRATES CONTINUED SUPPORT FOR CULTURAL FACILITIES ACROSS MASSACHUSETTS

$15 million in Fiscal Year 2015 funding for the arts will sustain Administration’s commitment to cultural organizations

PITTSFIELD – Monday, July 7, 2014 – Governor Deval Patrick today joined members of the Massachusetts Cultural Council to celebrate the recent award of $14 million in grants to the Massachusetts Cultural Facilities Fund (CFF)  which will support new building projects for nonprofit arts and cultural organizations, schools and communities across Massachusetts. The celebration, which took place at the Barrington Stage Company in Pittsfield, renews the Administration’s continued support of cultural facilities.

“Investments in our creative economy stimulate growth and opportunity in every corner of the Commonwealth,” said Governor Patrick. “Through this new round of funding, we are continuing to create a more vibrant place for our students to learn, our families to live and our businesses to grow.”

The grants will fund 81 projects that will expand access and education in the arts, history, and sciences; create jobs in construction and cultural tourism and improve the quality of life in many cities and towns across Massachusetts.

With these new grants the Mass Cultural Facilities Fund will have invested nearly $70 million in the Massachusetts creative sector in projects in 118 cities and towns since 2007. These grants have helped restore and preserve many of our Commonwealth’s historic buildings, leveraging private sector dollars that have kept our travel and tourism sector growing and thriving.  More than 15 million people visit organizations funded by the Mass Cultural Facilities Fund annually, with nearly one third of those visitors coming from out-of-state.

Governor Patrick, recognizing the importance of making investments in our creative economy, announced that the Fiscal Year 2015 Capital Plan will provide an additional $15 million for the CFF to help increase investments from both the public sector and private sector to support the sound planning and development of cultural facilities in Massachusetts. After tripling the allocation for the CFF in FY14, from $5 million to $15 million, the Administration sustains its commitment to cultural facilities and the arts in local communities.

In total CFF-funded building projects are spending more than $1.6 billion, providing more than 16,400 building jobs to architects, engineers, contractors, and carpenters. The organizations also plan to add 1,572 permanent jobs after their capital projects are complete.

The FY14 round of funding includes 81 capital grants totaling nearly $13 million and another 48 planning grants totaling just under $1 million. Grants range from $7,000 to $600,000 and must be matched with funds from private philanthropy and/or other public sources. A comprehensive funding list can be foundhere.

The CFF was created as part of an economic stimulus bill approved by the legislature in July 2006. The CFF is jointly administered by the Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC) and MassDevelopment. The goal of the CFF is to increase investments from both the public sector and private sector to support the sound planning and development of cultural facilities in Massachusetts.