For Immediate Release
April 21, 2023
CLARK ART INSTITUTE RECEIVES
CULTURAL SECTOR RECOVERY GRANT
FROM MASSACHUSETTS CULTURAL COUNCIL
(Williamstown, Massachusetts)—The Clark Art Institute recently received a Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC) grant as part of its Cultural Sector Recovery Grants for Organizations program. The Clark received $75,000 to help maintain programs and operations. The grant program was funded from the $8.7 billion provided to the Commonwealth from the American Rescue Plan Act.
The Clark is one of seventy-two Berkshire-based organizations among the 1,218 cultural organizations that have received a historic combined $51,063,350 grant funding from the MCC. Over 1,000 organizations and 4,000 artists, creatives, culture bearers, and gig workers across Massachusetts received awards from MCC through the one-time Cultural Sector Recovery Grants for Organizations and Cultural Sector Recovery Grants for Individuals programs.
“The Clark is fortunate to have received one of these grants, which will help to support our ongoing efforts to rebuild our visitation to pre-pandemic levels and, at the same time, to attract and engage new audiences,” said Olivier Meslay, Hardymon Director of the Clark. “Unrestricted funds such as these are particularly important here in the Berkshires, where cultural tourism is such an important part of our economy. We are very grateful to MCC.”
“This is the largest grant announcement the Massachusetts Cultural Council has ever made,” said Michael J. Bobbitt, Executive Director, Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC). “It is with great pleasure and pride that we celebrate more than $51 million in pandemic recovery monies being equitably distributed throughout the creative and cultural sector today. These awards will help propel the sector forward economically and chart the recipients’ paths towards growth.”
The Cultural Sector Recovery Grants for Organizations program offered unrestricted grants, ranging from $5,000 to $75,000 to Massachusetts cultural organizations, collectives, and businesses negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. MCC received 1,359 applications from cultural organizations, both non-profit and for-profit, to this program, of which 1,218 were deemed eligible and recommended to receive funding. A total of $31,063,360 in pandemic assistance was awarded to these organizations.
On March 31, MCC Executive Director Michael J. Bobbitt joined regional state and local elected officials, and cultural sector stakeholders from across Western Massachusetts in a special celebration held at the Clark to commemorate the $9 million in pandemic recovery funds going to the creative and cultural sector of Western Massachusetts.
ABOUT THE MASSACHUSETTS CULTURAL COUNCIL
The Massachusetts Cultural Council is an independent state agency that promotes excellence, inclusion, education, and diversity in the arts, humanities, and sciences; fosters a rich cultural life for all Massachusetts residents; and contributes to the vitality of the Commonwealth’s communities and economy. The agency pursues this mission through a wide range of grants, initiatives, and advocacy for artists, communities, organizations, and schools. To learn more, visit MassCulturalCouncil.org.
ABOUT THE CLARK
The Clark Art Institute, located in the Berkshires of western Massachusetts, is one of a small number of institutions globally that is both an art museum and a center for research, critical discussion, and higher education in the visual arts. Opened in 1955, the Clark houses exceptional European and American paintings and sculpture, extensive collections of master prints and drawings, English silver, and early photography. Acting as convener through its Research and Academic Program, the Clark gathers an international community of scholars to participate in a lively program of conferences, colloquia, and workshops on topics of vital importance to the visual arts. The Clark library, consisting of some 300,000 volumes, is one of the nation’s premier art history libraries. The Clark also houses and co-sponsors the Williams College Graduate Program in the History of Art.
The Clark, which has a three-star rating in the Michelin Green Guide, is located at 225 South Street in Williamstown, Massachusetts. Its 140-acre campus includes miles of hiking and walking trails through woodlands and meadows, providing an exceptional experience of art in nature. Galleries are open 10 am to 5 pm Tuesday through Sunday, from September through June, and daily in July and August. Admission is free January through March and is $20 from March through December; admission is free year-round for Clark members, all visitors age 21 and under, and students with a valid student ID. Free admission is also available through several programs, including First Sundays Free; a local library pass program; and EBT Card to Culture. For information on these programs and more, visit clarkart.edu or call 413 458 2303.
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