Gordon, Barrett Announce Grants for Bedford Cultural Programs

The following is a press release from the Bedford Cultural Council: 

State Senator Michael Barrett and Ken Gordon, state representative and chair of the Bedford Cultural Council,have announced the award of 8 grants totaling $4,050, for cultural programs in Bedford.

Grant recipients include the Bedford Citizen, Lane School, the Bedford Arts and Crafts Society, the Bedford Council on Aging and Annemarie Silver for the transitional families living in Bedford. A complete list of recipients and grant amounts can be found below:

Bedford Citizen: $1,325; Bedford Arts & Crafts, $225; Acton Community Chorus, $300; Lane School, $700; Contemporary Arts International, $500; John Root, $100; Annemarie Silver for Children of Transitional Families, $600; Bedford Council on Aging, $300.

The Bedford Cultural Council is part of a network of 329 Local Cultural Councils serving all 351 cities and towns in the Commonwealth. The LCC Program is the largest grassroots cultural funding network in the nation,supporting thousands of community-based projects in the arts, sciences and humanities every year. The state legislature provides an annual appropriation to the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency, which then allocates funds to each community.

Decisions about which activities to support are made at the community level by a board of municipally appointed volunteers. In addition to Gordon, the members of the Bedford Cultural Council are: Jane Franklin,Ginny Packer, Linda Connelly, Barbara Purchia, Breena Daniell, George Epple, Tim Gartland and Cheryl Blalock.

"I’m always blown away by the intensity of Bedford volunteer spirit," said Senator Barrett. "That’s what makes the town’s arts and culture scene work. The Committee works hard to encourage people in the community to apply for grants, then is put to the task of applying limited resources to fund worthwhile projects. Thanks to them and those like them, the arts, sciences and humanities are part of people's everyday lives in every community across the state."

Statewide, more than $2.34 million will be distributed by local cultural councils in 2013. Grants will support an enormous range of grass-roots activities: concerts, exhibitions, radio and video productions, field trips for school children, after-school youth programs, writing workshops, historical preservation efforts, lectures, First Night celebrations, nature and science education programs for families and town festivals. Nearly half of LCC funds support educational activities for young people.

The Bedford Cultural Council will seek applications again in the fall. Information and forms are available online at (www.mass-culture.org). The next application deadline will be Oct. 15, 2013.