Today was MASSCreative’s Arts Advocacy Day. The day began at the beautiful Paramount Theatre. The Paramount, opened in 1932 as a single-screen 1,700-seat theater was one of the first movie houses in Boston to play talkies. It closed in 1976, but was renovated by Emerson College into a performing arts center, re-opened in 2010. Hundreds of artists, students, art patrons, activists and those who work for non-profit arts organizations gathered in the theater to rally and train for coming to the State House to advocate for additional arts funding. Below are the comments Senator Kennedy made to the group:
Tourism, arts & culture are big business in Massachusetts – with the tourism industry bringing $20 billion in direct spending into the state and employing 150,000 people across the Commonwealth and the arts and culture sector contributing a stunning $1 billion into the local economy annually, supporting more than 73,000 jobs.
Despite the robust nature of these industries and the vibrance and increased quality of life they bring to our communities, dedicated funding sources remain scarce. While California spends $120 million annual on destination marketing efforts, Massachusetts allocates only $10 million – less than half the national average. This is an area where you need to spend money to make money and I believe we are missing out on significant revenue streams.
My hometown of Lowell began marketing itself as a home to artists decades ago. Arts and culture have been a key to the city’s rebirth the hundreds of artists and creators who have moved to Lowell from the Boston area and other parts of the state and nation since that time have brought color, fun, insight and awareness to Lowell. Their presence and work have been an economic engine and marketing hook for the city; their enthusiasm and willingness to get involved in civic life and local causes has increased the quality of life for all Lowellians.
I see the difference grant funding from the Massachusetts Cultural Council makes in Lowell every day. This year, the Lowell Cultural Council granted $75,000 in grants to 28 artists, non-profit organizations, events, and institutions.
The LCC has made a variety of programs possible this year including Salsa in the Park, which provides free salsa dancing lessons in Lowell’s North Common, bringing life to a public park in the heart of the city’s lowest-income neighborhood – providing entertainment and building community; the Lowell Kinetic Sculpture Race – which brings STEM activities to life for children and adults of all ages, as well as spectators and participants from around the region and across the country; bringing poetry and arts programming to Lowell Public School students, programs which are often the first victims of budget cuts; funding Cambodian, African, and Bhutanese cultural programs, helping these groups celebrate their heritage and keep it alive, while introducing their customs and culture to those of us from other backgrounds; and even funding the interpretation of cultural programming throughout the city in American Sign Language. All of these programs and the dozens of others funded through the cultural council help make Lowell a vibrant city, attracting visitors with money to spend and boosting the quality of life for residents of the city.
Statewide, grant funding provided to local cultural councils by the Mass Cultural Council provides support to more than 6,000 artists, community groups and organizations annual, many of whom would not be able to secure foundation or private funding.
Lowell has also been greatly transformed by the installation of public art, including many works by prolific sculptor, the late Mico Kaufman. These works are just as important to the aesthetic of our downtown as the historic architecture. They make it a more inviting and interesting place and draw people to spaces that otherwise would be under-utilized. Drawing people out to public spaces builds community and pride in the neighborhood, as well as reduces crime.
As the Senate Chair of Tourism, Arts, and Cultural Development, I look forward to helping MASSCreative advocate for their policy platform this session – including allocating $18 million in funding for the Mass Cultural Council and establishing the Massachusetts Public Arts Program.