Arts + Policy

The intersection of race, COVID-19, and the arts

BAMS Fest founder Catherine Morris sees peril – and opportunity – in the moment

By Shira Schoenberg BAMS Fest, Catherine Morris 0 Comments Jan 2, 2021

THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC has had a disproportionate impact on the black community, at the same time as a national reckoning on race relations called attention to societal ills stemming from systemic racism. The economic displacement caused by COVID-19 has also particularly hurt artists, who are often part of the gig economy. What does this unique(...)

Mass. Cultural Council picks new leader

Choice is Michael Bobbitt, Watertown theater artistic director

By Katie Lannan Arts and Culture, State Government 0 Comments Dec 19, 2020

STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR of a Watertown theater will in February become the next director of the Massachusetts Cultural Council, after a unanimous vote Friday by the council’s governing body. Michael Bobbitt, a director, choreographer, and playwright who came to the New Repertory Theatre in Watertown in 2019 after 12 years serving(...)

Poll signals new approach at Museum of Science

Institution is getting involved in vaccination debate

By Bruce Mohl Arts and Culture, COVID-19 0 Comments Dec 8, 2020

THE BOSTON MUSEUM OF SCIENCE, known primarily as an interesting place to visit, took a step out into the community on Tuesday, releasing a poll surveying the attitudes of Massachusetts residents about a COVID-19 vaccine. The poll contained some interesting findings – most Massachusetts residents want to be vaccinated and women of color are the(...)

Elite artists face challenges on green cards

How do you prove ‘extraordinary ability’ during pandemic?

By Sarah Betancourt Arts and Culture, Immigration 0 Comments Nov 26, 2020

EVEN ELITE ARTISTS are having difficulty getting green cards for permanent residency in the United States. The federal government is on pace to issue 32 percent fewer green cards this year to those with “extraordinary artistic ability.” Part of the downturn is the result of a slowdown in processing applications for the visas due to(...)

How we’re staying afloat at the New England Aquarium

Innovation and fortitude are key for vital cultural institutions

By Vikki Spruill 0 Comments Oct 26, 2020

THIS YEAR’S rapid-fire turn of events is stunning. Minute to minute, day by day, we face a new reality. It’s no different leading one of Boston’s most popular and beloved cultural institutions in the year when we planned to celebrate our 50th anniversary. Then, it all turned upside down. To give you a sense of the(...)

Historic homes struggle to reopen in COVID-compliant way

With small spaces and little ventilation, many sites remain closed

By Shira Schoenberg arts, coronavirus 0 Comments Oct 25, 2020

THE YEAR 2020 was shaping up to be a banner year for the Orchard House in Concord, the home where Louisa May Alcott lived and wrote the classic book Little Women. On Christmas 2019, the Greta Gerwig film adaptation of Little Women was released, set in a replica of Orchard House. By February, visits to(...)

Castle Rock’s impact called significant

Groups push for repeal of film tax credit sunset date

By Bruce Mohl Film tax credit, Massachusetts Legislature 0 Comments Oct 22, 2020

A STUDY BILLED as the first of its kind indicates the initial season of Hulu’s Castle Rock television series received a projected $14.6 million in film tax credits from the state and generated $69 million of total economic output in Massachusetts – a return of $4.73 for every dollar of tax credit. The study is(...)

Museums refocus and reinvent to survive COVID

Capacity limits, declining attendance are hurting revenue

By Shira Schoenberg 0 Comments Oct 18, 2020

JANE PARKER LIVES in Harvard, and over the years, she has visited the neighboring Fruitlands Museum for big events, like February’s Winterfest. In early October, Parker returned to Fruitlands to hike for the first time on the museum’s three miles of trails. She met an old friend and they planned to briefly stop in the galleries, then take(...)

Happy Indigenous Peoples’ Day

It’s time to move beyond the falsehoods of Columbus Day

By Jack Patrick Lewis and Lindsay Sabadosa 0 Comments Oct 11, 2020

THE UNITED STATES is grappling with the legacy of slavery, systemic racism, and oppression. This requires us, as responsible citizens, to reflect on our own lives, and question our long-held assumptions. We need, furthermore, to intentionally support efforts to dismantle the stereotypes and bigotry ingrained in our country’s history and culture. Calendars mark the second(...)

The era of Christopher Columbus is over

As we de-sanitize history, let’s do it with humility

By James Aloisi race and ethnicity 0 Comments Oct 10, 2020

WHEN I WAS A KID growing up on the second floor of an East Boston triple decker, Columbus Day was a pretty big deal. Alternating with the North End, the grand parade organized by local civic groups passed by our house every other year, and we would either watch from the windows or, more often,(...)