NEWBURYPORT — Many patrons of cultural activities believe in “art for art’s sake,” but it doesn’t hurt to have some money thrown in to enable nonprofit organizations to perform more effectively.
State and local officials recently gathered to mark the distribution of more than $20,000 in new state grants to schools and nonprofit organizations in Amesbury, Newburyport and Salisbury.
State officials said the $20,000-plus in disbursements is in addition to the previously announced $7,000 Cultural Facilities Fund grant that was earmarked for Newburyport’s Firehouse Center for the Arts.
State Rep. Mike Costello, D-Newburyport, who visited several cultural venues last week, said in a statement, “These cultural institutions (receiving funds) are an essential part of what makes Newburyport a great place to live and to visit.
“With the help of the Massachusetts Cultural Council, we look forward to expanding these cultural opportunities in the future with the proposed new cultural district in downtown Newburyport.”
City officials here are currently planning to designate a Cultural District running from Federal Street to Winter Street.
The state Cultural Council awarded grants to the Amesbury Cultural Council ($4,470), the Newburyport Cultural Council ($3,870) and the Salisbury Cultural Council ($3,870).
Other recipients were On Stage, Inc., $3,000; Newburyport Literary Festival, $2,500; and the Firehouse Center, $2,500.
The MCC is a state agency supporting the arts, humanities and sciences to improve the quality of life in Massachusetts. It is funded primarily by the state and through grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, Bank of America and others. It focuses on advocacy for nonprofit cultural organizations, schools, communities and artists.
Probe Begins After Conn. Commuter Trains Crash
NTSB Begins Investigation Into Conn. Train Crash
Lotto Fever Sweeps the Country
Conn. Commuter Trains Collide; 60 Go to Hospital
Coffee Run Leads to Hatchet Hitchhiker Arrest
Fmr. IRS Head Insists No Politics in Targeting
CDC: Fecal Bacteria Common in Swimming Pools
$1 Million in Jewels Stolen at Cannes Film Fest
NM Mom Chases Down Child Abductor
Raw: Crash Sends Car Into Fla. Pool
Raw: Obama Sits Down With Elementary Kids
Raw: Bear Falls From Tampa Tree
Ousted IRS Chief: Errors Not Caused by Politics
Terror Suspect Due in Court in Idaho Friday
Raw: Driver Ejected From Truck, Over Bridge
Could Tobacco Be the Next Biofuel?
Wash. State Releases Draft Rules for Legal Pot
Dying Man's Blinks Lead to Murder Conviction
Officials: Texas Tornado Likely Had 200 Mph Wind
Brothers Arrested in NOLA Parade Shooting
