Worcester Cultural Coalition granted $175K to expand equitable use of JMAC
Photo | Timothy Doyle
The Jean McDonough Arts Center on Franklin Street in Worcester.
The Worcester Cultural Coalition will receive a $175,000 grant from the Barr Foundation to help reduce financial barriers to producing projects at the Jean McDonough Arts Center in Worcester’s downtown.
Organizations and artists can apply for subsidized rental costs for the BrickBox Theater at JMAC on a first-come, first-served basis through June 30 and may apply for project sponsorships offering up to $10,000 in venue space rental and staffing cost subsidy or up to $15,000 in discretionary funds to pay creatives, investing in marketing, and to cover other direct costs related to the event, according to a Wednesday press release from the WCC.
“Artists are essential building blocks of our neighborhoods. They catalyze creativity, wonder, connection, and community,” SueEllen Kroll, senior program officer for arts & creativity at the Boston-based Barr Foundation, said in the press release.
“The JMAC has proven to be a critical cultural home and community space - especially for Worcester’s BIPOC and underserved artists - by helping artists create new work, generate income, and positively impact their community,” Kroll said.
Funding priority will be given to individuals and groups identifying as led by or focused on historically marginalized or underrepresented groups, such as the Black, indigenous, and people of color, as well as LGBTQIA+ communities. Members of the Worcester Cultural Coalition will be given priority, too.
“The JMAC strives to ensure that every cultural organization, large and small, can have a home in downtown Worcester,” Eric Butler, board president of the Worcester Cultural Coalition, said in the press release.
Applications are available at JMACWorcester.org/AccessGrants. A free informational session will be held at JMAC from 6-7 p.m. on Jan. 19. Registration for the event is available at JMACAccessGrantInfoSessions.eventbrite.com.
The JMAC at 20 Franklin St. is an initiative of the Worcester Cultural Coalition, a public-private partnership between the City of Worcester and more than 80 arts organizations, and consists of a space to host pop-up shows and a black box theater. It is operated in partnership with The Hanover Theatre and Conservatory for the Performing Arts in Worcester.
The Barr Foundation, founded in 1997 is a Boston-based organization with a primarily regional focus to elevate the arts, advance solutions for climate change, and connect all students to success in high school and beyond.
Projects at JMAC funded by Barr Foundation money in 2022 included:
- Don’t Touch My Podcast, by Jennifer Gaskin and Giselle Rivera Flores
- FLAMENCO! Tradition, Art & Passion and Villancicos Flamencos, by Flamenco Worcester
- My Son The Waiter, by Jewish Theatre Company of Central Massachusetts
- ree Student Masterclass with Tony Award Winner Laura Benanti, by Broadway in Worcester
- Coyote Way X: Expanded Cinema, by FDarren Cole and Missy Whiteman
- Deity, by studioXpresents
- Club Kiki, by Queer the Scene
- I am Hayti!, by Jean-Sebastien Duvilaire and JSDDance
- Dia de los Muertos Festival, by Casita Cultura Latina
- Woo on Tap, by Michael Skrzek and Jackson Jirard
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