The future health of the Berkshire arts and cultural scene is once again in the hands of the Massachusetts legislature.
(Updated 8/2/10:) Decision reached:
The state Legislature has approved an economic development bill that preserves the Massachusetts Cultural Council’s role as an independent agency within state government. The bill also calls for establishing a commission to study how schools foster student creativity. The Governor has indicated that he intends to the sign the bill into law.
The Legislature rejected an earlier version of the legislation that would have placed the MCC under the umbrella of a new quasi-public agency called the Massachusetts Marketing Partnership, along with the Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism, the Massachusetts Film Office, and other agencies. The House and Senate eventually concluded that marketing and tourism were not central to the MCC’s core mission of supporting the nonprofit arts and cultural sector, and removed the agency from an earlier provision of the bill establishing the new umbrella agency. The creation of the Mass. Marketing Partnership was one of many provisions in the legislation intended to streamline state government agencies dealing with economic development and make their work more efficient.
In particular, House Speaker Robert DeLeo and his leadership team sought to preserve the MCC’s longstanding role in state government as the sole agency responsible for fostering the health and vitality of the nonprofit cultural sector through grants, services, and advocacy. Leading this effort were Rep. Brian Dempsey of Haverhill, House Chair of the Joint Committee on Economic Development & Emerging Technologies; members of the Joint Committee on Tourism, Arts, and Cultural Development led by its House Chair, Rep. John Keenan of Salem; and Rep. Steve Walsh of Lynn, House Chair of the Joint Committee on Administration & Regulatory Oversight.
(Updated 7/27) As those of us in the Berkshires revel in a summer of plenty, there’s possible trouble brewing right here in our state. Recently I have had several candid conversations with the leaders of our most important cultural organizations. Each dealt with the meltdown of the American economy in a different way, each still depends on the smallish grants they receive from the Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC), mostly to partially fund their outreach programs with our local communities, or to help repair aging infrastructure.
The depth of support of Senator Ben Downing who represents most of the Berkshires is not known.
Now there are dueling proposals to reshape the role of the MCC into one of a tourism-related organization, and when the Pandora’s box of arts support is opened, those who think government has no business supporting the arts bring out their axes and buzzsaws.
The arts are in for some tough battles in the months to come, and you need to be aware of them, and to talk to your state legislators about their importance.
The Berkshire’s Senator Ben Downing will play an important role. He has been supportive of the arts, and recognizes the important role they play in the Berkshire economy. (He has an office at 7 North Street, #307 in Pittsfield, MA 01201. His Berkshire office number is 413-442-4008.)
In speaking with him, he said that the question is not whether the arts should be funded, but rather under which agency of the state the audit and finances should fall. “The Mass Cultural Council will be continued, its role unchanged,” he promised.
“I can’t tell you how this will turn out since the negotiations are ongoing between the house and senate. But I expect that the decisions will be made before the current session ends later this week,” Downing concluded. Let us hope that it is good news.
Downing is a member of the Committee on Tourism, Arts and Cultural Development and among his efforts to support the arts ahs co-sponsored a proposal to promote artistic development in the downtown areas of Pittsfield, Fitchburg and Lowell by providing an incentive for artists to relocate and/or remain in these communities by offering a tax exemption status for the sale of their artwork within designated zones. It has not yet passed into law.
Meanwhile this informative letter, released yesterday, is from Anita Walker who is the director of the Massachusetts Cultural Council.
Dear Colleagues,
A legislative conference committee is now considering competing bills to reorganize state government agencies that foster economic development in Massachusetts. A final version of this bill must go to the Governor for his approval before the legislative session ends July 31 for the bill to become law.
We need your help to ensure that this important legislation does not compromise the mission of the Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC) to foster the health and vitality of the nonprofit cultural sector!
One of the goals of the legislation is to streamline government agencies that market the state under the umbrella of a new quasi-public organization called the Massachusetts Marketing Partnership. This Partnership would oversee the Massachusetts Film Office, the Sports Marketing Partnership, and the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism (MOTT), among other agencies.
The Senate version of this bill would place the MCC under MOTT within the new Marketing Partnership. By contrast, the version passed by the House of Representatives would leave MCC where it is in the state government hierarchy: within the office of the state Treasurer, but not subject to its control.
The MCC Board believes strongly that MCC should maintain its place as an independent agency within Massachusetts state government. So we want you to tell the conferees (listed below) and the Governor to support the House version of this legislation—House Bill 4863.
Why is this important?
First, tourism and marketing are not central to MCC’s core mission. Our work involves revitalizing communities and neighborhoods through arts and culture, investing in education and youth development, and fostering civic engagement and participation in community arts and cultural activities.
We fear this work will be undervalued if MCC is charged with advancing a more narrow agenda focused on tourism.
Making the case for general operating support for organizations, funding for community arts, humanities, and science programs, and grants for individual artists, is a difficult task in an environment of scarce public resources. That argument will be made harder still if the impact of our support is measured in terms of tourism and marketing.
The cultural community of Massachusetts is unique in the public value that it provides to our communities and our citizens every day. It needs and deserves a state agency that understands that value and works on its behalf. Please add your voice to this debate and help the MCC maintain its proven role in state government.
Thank you for your help!
Anita Walker
Executive Director
Massachusetts Cultural Council
Contact information for the Governor & conferees listed below can be found via: www.mass.gov
Governor Deval Patrick
Senator Karen Spilka of Framingham
Senator Benjamin Downing of Pittsfield
Senator Bruce Tarr of Gloucester
Representative Brian Dempsey of Haverhill
Representative Garrett Bradley of Hingham
Representative Vinny DeMacedo of Plymouth
