The Cambridge Arts Council (CAC) is the official arts agency for the City of Cambridge, MA. Established by City ordinance in 1974 and incorporated as a public non-profit in 1976, CAC's mission is to ensure that the arts remain vital for people living, working and visiting Cambridge. As both a service and presenting organization, CAC accomplishes this mission by stimulating public awareness of and support for the arts, preserving and celebrating the City's diverse cultural heritage, displaying art in public places, and developing opportunities to improve the overall aesthetic experience for residents and visitors of Cambridge.
All CAC initiatives are developed within two principal categories - Public Art and Community Art. Working through these programs, CAC provides core services and initiatives for constituents.
Amount Available for Granting in FY 2013
$50,887
Applications for field trips are accepted. (Formerly known as PASS applications.)
LCC Program Guidelines (PDF)
The postmark deadline for applications is October 15
Funding Priorities
The CAC is committed to funding a diverse range of cultural activities. CAC supports:
- projects from individuals and from organizations.
- projects in all art forms.
- projects which target specific populations - such as youth, elders, or residents of a specific neighborhood.
- collaborative projects which bring together artists and other types of organizations.
- large and small projects.
- experimental projects that take the arts to non-traditional settings.
Through three funding categories, the Grant Program will support creative, innovative programs that:
- are of outstanding artistic quality.
- show strong support from the intended audience and collaborators.
- demonstrate comprehensive planning.
- show strong evidence of a marketing or public relations plan.
- are publicly accessible.
- promote meaningful interaction between the artist population and other members of the Cambridge community.
The City of Cambridge allocates an additional $35,000 to the Grant Program.
Local Guidelines
Cambridge has detailed local guidelines which are available for download from our website www.cambridgeartscouncil.org. Individual artists, artist groups, arts organizations, community organizations, and municipal agencies are all eligible to apply for Grant Program funds. All projects must be based in Cambridge and demonstrate a tangible benefit to Cambridge citizens.