Rep. Vitolo Celebrates $342K In Cultural Sector Grants For Brookline

BROOKLINE MA — On Monday, Rep. Tommy Vitolo joined the Mass Cultural Council in celebrating the Agency’s FY22 grant awards supporting the cultural sector – defined as the arts, humanities, and sciences.

"I am proud to represent a town with such a strong arts and cultural community,” Vitolo said in a statement. "As a member of the Joint Committee on Tourism, Arts, and Cultural Development, I have seen firsthand the devastating impact that the pandemic has had on this sector. I am grateful to Chair Fiola and the Mass Cultural Council for supporting the Brookline arts community in FY22.”

This year, Mass Cultural Council awarded a total of $342,450 to fourteen recipients in Brookline. Recipients include the Coolidge Corner Theatre, which received $238,000, the Puppet Showplace Theatre, which received $11,600, and Abilities Dance, which received $7,500.

Boston Bhangra, based in Brookline, received $25,000 as part of the Asian American and Pacific Islander Arts & Culture COVID-19 Recovery Program and the Brookline Commission for the Arts received $15,700 in local cultural council funding. The complete FY22 Grant Report for the 15th Norfolk District is available here.

“This year, Mass Cultural Council received just over $21 million from the state budget, the largest state investment into the cultural sector approved since the late 1980s,” Michael J. Bobbitt, Executive Director of the Mass Cultural Council, said in a statement. “We deeply appreciate the strong support and partnership we share with the Massachusetts House of Representatives. I hope these FY22 Grant Reports show that the investments made through these awards to support Massachusetts artists, cultural organizations, youth programs, and communities were wise and reaped great cultural and economic value statewide.”

The Mass Cultural Council is an independent state agency charged with promoting excellence, inclusion, education, access, and diversity in the arts, humanities, and sciences across the state. For more information, visit massculturalcouncil.org.