City receives $40K grant for arts resource center
North Adams Transcript: NORTH ADAMS - As Berkshire County grows as a tourist destination and cultural hub, the Massachusetts Cultural Council is helping the region connect artists, scholars and arts-related entrepreneurs with its cultural institutions.
The council awarded two $40,000 grants Friday afternoon at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. Both the city of North Adams and the city of Pittsfield received grants to solidify the relationships between public higher education institutions, museums and other art venues in their respective cities. This is the second year Pittsfield has received a grant for its cultural council.
"It's very exciting for me to be here in Berkshire County, when there is a cooperation and collaboration on a countywide scale, which is forming a national brand. When I travel, I talk about North Adams. I talk about how the city is proof that arts and culture can be an economic development tool," said Daniel R. Hunter, president of Massachusetts Advocates for the Arts, Science and Humanities.
The city's grant is for the creation of an arts resource center in collaboration with Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts and Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art.
"The creation of the center is important as we continue to try to grow the (arts and cultural) economy. This will support an emerging economy and certainly assist entrepreneurs," Mayor John Barrett III said. "It will also connect
MCLA to Mass MoCA and the downtown."
Rod Bunt of the Mayor's Office of Tourism and Cultural Development, said the grant will be used to put together a cultural brochure, along with the development of a Web site of cultural attractions, and create an increased presence at the college's Gallery 51 on Main Street, where the center will be based.
"Gallery 51 is a great success. This is just another way for us to link all of our resources together," Barrett said.
State Sen. Andrea F. Nuciforo Jr., D-Pittsfield, said the cultural council grants acknowledge the county's embrace of arts as the new economic development catalyst.
"The era of General Electric and Sprague Electric is over. The area as a whole is looking at this new creative economy and taking it into account," he said.
State Rep. Daniel E. Bosley, D-North Adams, said the county is now the fourth largest tourist destination in the country, with a growing variety of cultural options that include museums and several varieties of theater.
"We need to nurture this precious thing we have. It's not the big things that matter, it's the little things," he said.
"These might not be big grants, but it's amazing how the institutions in this area can stretch those dollars," said state Rep. William "Smitty" Pignatelli, D-Lenox.
He said the county's attitude toward tourists has drastically changed over the years, now embracing the new economy.
"I remember growing up and everyone was happy to see the tourists come (to Tanglewood) on July 4, but we couldn't wait until they left on Labor Day," Pignatelli said.
A member of the Joint Committee of Cultural Development, Pignatelli said he learned one important thing about the area's cultural growth during a recent state-wide listening tour of the group.
"Compared to the rest of the state, Berkshire County really has its act together," he said.
The council awarded two $40,000 grants Friday afternoon at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. Both the city of North Adams and the city of Pittsfield received grants to solidify the relationships between public higher education institutions, museums and other art venues in their respective cities. This is the second year Pittsfield has received a grant for its cultural council.
"It's very exciting for me to be here in Berkshire County, when there is a cooperation and collaboration on a countywide scale, which is forming a national brand. When I travel, I talk about North Adams. I talk about how the city is proof that arts and culture can be an economic development tool," said Daniel R. Hunter, president of Massachusetts Advocates for the Arts, Science and Humanities.
The city's grant is for the creation of an arts resource center in collaboration with Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts and Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art.
"The creation of the center is important as we continue to try to grow the (arts and cultural) economy. This will support an emerging economy and certainly assist entrepreneurs," Mayor John Barrett III said. "It will also connect
MCLA to Mass MoCA and the downtown."
Rod Bunt of the Mayor's Office of Tourism and Cultural Development, said the grant will be used to put together a cultural brochure, along with the development of a Web site of cultural attractions, and create an increased presence at the college's Gallery 51 on Main Street, where the center will be based.
"Gallery 51 is a great success. This is just another way for us to link all of our resources together," Barrett said.
State Sen. Andrea F. Nuciforo Jr., D-Pittsfield, said the cultural council grants acknowledge the county's embrace of arts as the new economic development catalyst.
"The era of General Electric and Sprague Electric is over. The area as a whole is looking at this new creative economy and taking it into account," he said.
State Rep. Daniel E. Bosley, D-North Adams, said the county is now the fourth largest tourist destination in the country, with a growing variety of cultural options that include museums and several varieties of theater.
"We need to nurture this precious thing we have. It's not the big things that matter, it's the little things," he said.
"These might not be big grants, but it's amazing how the institutions in this area can stretch those dollars," said state Rep. William "Smitty" Pignatelli, D-Lenox.
He said the county's attitude toward tourists has drastically changed over the years, now embracing the new economy.
"I remember growing up and everyone was happy to see the tourists come (to Tanglewood) on July 4, but we couldn't wait until they left on Labor Day," Pignatelli said.
A member of the Joint Committee of Cultural Development, Pignatelli said he learned one important thing about the area's cultural growth during a recent state-wide listening tour of the group.
"Compared to the rest of the state, Berkshire County really has its act together," he said.
posted by Joshua Field at 2:18 PM
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