Mass Cultural Council weathers Boston Herald storm

Lawmakers boost agency’s funding with minimal restrictions

By Andy Metzger Anita Walker, Boston Herald, Cultural Council 0 Comments Jul 26, 2019

STATE BUDGET-WRITERS put a gloss of stringency on their handling of the Massachusetts Cultural Council budget, but ultimately imposed few real restrictions on how the council conducts itself aside from new reporting requirements that accompany a hefty raise. The biggest change would be a $2 million increase in the state’s appropriation for the quasi-independent arts(...)

In Holyoke, arts education takes front seat

Non-profit helps integrate creativity into the regular curriculum

By Sarah Betancourt Arts and Culture, CW in Depth, Elementary and Secondary Education 0 Comments Jul 14, 2019

SIX-YEAR-OLD JUAN patted an inflatable ball as he peered out of his blue-rimmed glasses. Which way to send the ball? What could he knock down? Juan was playing “human bowling” in Kat Lorenzi’s kindergarten class in Holyoke. The objective was to get the ball to bounce off a few of his classmates, and figure out(...)

Students need new skillset – creativity

Needed to prepare students for an unknowable future

By Stanley Rosenberg and Dan Hunter Elementary and Secondary Education 0 Comments Jun 1, 2019

TODAY WE MUST educate children for jobs that don’t yet exist, using technologies that haven’t been invented. The tumultuous change on our planet, in our societies, and in our schools, presents a steep challenge to educators and legislators. How do we prepare our children for a world not yet imagined? What skills should schools teach(...)

Veep’s Massachusetts connection

Lesser tries to keep the HBO scripts real

By Sarah Betancourt Massachusetts politics, National Politics 0 Comments Apr 5, 2019

SEN. ERIC LESSER of Longmeadow knows what’s going to happen this season on Veep, but he’s keeping it to himself. Lesser has been working since 2011 as a consultant for the HBO political satire starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus as vice president turned train-wreck-in-chief. Even with a comedy, HBO wants to keep it real, and Lesser was(...)

Can private sector save the Mohawk?

North Adams mayor seeks ideas for reviving theater

By Bruce Mohl Growth and Development 0 Comments Apr 4, 2019

LIKE NORTH ADAMS, the community in which it is located, the Mohawk Theater has long been regarded as down and out. But as the town tries to reinvent itself as an arts and tourism destination, the marquee of the shuttered Mohawk, one of the last art-deco style movie houses in the nation, continuously beckons. The(...)

Creative economy losing some steam

Leadership, investment declining in Berkshire County, across state

By Julia Dixon Arts and creativity, Charlie Baker 0 Comments Mar 29, 2019

1BERKSHIRE, Berkshire County’s leading economic development organization, released a strategic report last month called The Berkshire Blueprint 2.0 that, on the surface, seems to provide helpful action steps for supporting the region’s vibrant creative economy. The report’s six “creative cluster” recommendations include collaborations, professional development, and communication tools that connect creative people to resources as(...)

Arts should be core to education, not an optional add-on

Boston budget threatens vital programming

By Liz Byron arts curriculum, Boston public schools 0 Comments Mar 15, 2019

I’M EXCITED TO welcome more than 5,000 fellow arts educators from the National Art Education Association to Boston this weekend. At the same time, I’m worried about the state of the arts in our city. While Boston Public School officials tout the district’s “largest ever” budget, cuts to a number of city schools are in(...)

Arts internships coming for Boston students

Bloomberg grant brings initiative for summer positions for high school seniors

By Michael Jonas 0 Comments Mar 13, 2019

WHILE BOSTON HIGH SCHOOL students hear plenty of talk about opportunities in STEM fields, with good internships available that match them with employers in the region’s booming biomedical and tech industries, one important local sector – the arts — has long struggled to keep up when it comes to showcasing career pathways for young people.(...)

Mass. needs to step up for tourism and the arts

Investment is no-brainer; lack of predictable state support deplorable

By Martha J. Sheridan and Lee Pelton Arts and creativity, State Government 0 Comments Mar 10, 2019

MASSACHUSETTS’ DYNAMIC tourism industry and its arts and cultural assets are inextricably linked, collectively delivering extraordinary dividends to the state’s economic vitality and quality of life. Residents and visitors alike reap the benefits created by these sectors, and yet there is no predictable or dedicated financial support on the state and local level to ensure(...)

King’s English

The money man behind Boston’s forthcoming tribute to MLK

By Andy Metzger Coretta Scott King, CW in Depth, Marie St. Fleur, Martin Luther King Jr., Paul English 0 Comments Mar 5, 2019

PAUL ENGLISH DIDN’T invent the idea of building a monument in Boston to the foremost civil rights hero of the 20th century, but in the parlance of the high-tech world where English made his millions, he was the angel investor who helped launch it. There was untapped demand in Boston for a suitable tribute to(...)