Cambridge Arts Council

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 2011

(information not yet available)

PASS applications are accepted.

LCC Program Guidelines (PDF)

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. Total available for Grant Program is $56,600.

Local Guidelines

Cambridge has detailed local guidelines which are available for download from our website. 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.

Grant Applicants

• Tips for Grant Applicants
• LCC Grant Application
• PASS Grant Application (PDF, 35 KB)

Grant Recipients

• LCC Reimbursement Form
• Credit and Publicity Kit for LCC and PASS Grant Recipients
• Download an MCC Credit Logo

FY 2010

Name	Project	Discipline	Amount
Agassiz Baldwin Community	Artist Architecture Collaborative - Fabrication Phase	Visual Arts	$2,000
Agassiz Baldwin Community	Wheelock Family Theater - Little Mermaid	Theater	$600
Boston Latino International Film Festival (BLIFF)	Boston Latino International Film Festival	Media Arts	$2,000
Brattle Film Foundation	Elements of Cinema	Media Arts	$2,000
Brigham, Joan	Steamers	Visual Arts	$2,000
Brunel, Todd	The Vortex Series of New and Improvised Music	Music	$900
Cambridge Center for Adult Education	Blacksmith House Poetry Series	Literature	$2,000
Cambridge Community Center, Inc.	Community Art Education Program	Visual Arts	$2,000
Cambridge Educational Access	Back to the Bridge: CRLS Alumni Artists in Residence	Media Arts	$2,000
Cambridge Forum, Inc.	Conversations on Creativity	Literature	$2,000
Community Art Center, Inc.	HONK	Music	$624
Community Art Center, Inc.	Circus Smirkus	Theater	$156
Community Art Center, Inc.	"Do it Your Damn Self!" National Youth Video and Film Fest	Media Arts	$2,000
Dance Complex	Mentoring Through Dance	Dance	$2,000
Dougherty, Aidan	Youth Build Electronic Circuits with a Smile	Visual Arts	$2,000
Gallery 263	Gallery 263 Exhibitions	Visual Arts	$2,000
Gately Youth Center, Cambridge Youth Programs	Breathe Cambridge	Visual Arts	$2,000
Handel and Haydn Society	Education Outreach Program	Music	$750
ImprovBoston / Improvisation Center of Boston	Queer Qomedy Festival	Theater	$1,125
Jose Mateo's Ballet Theatre	Dance for World Community Festival	Dance	$2,000
Linnaean Community School	Wheelock Family Theatre	Theater	$600
Massmouth	Massmouth Story Slams in Cambridge	Literature	$750
Motzkin, Judy	Garden of Totems	Visual Arts	$375
Ndaje School of African Arts, Inc.	Ndaje Festival of African Music and Dance 2010	Dance	$2,000
New Repertory Theatre	New Rep on Tour	Theater	$525
North Cambridge Family Opera Company	"Astronomy" Festival Chorus	Music	$2,000
Paper Picker Press/Cultural Agents	Paper Picker Press Training: Arts for Literacy	Literature	$2,000
Prometheus Dance, Inc.	No Parachute Required	Dance	$2,000
Revels, Inc.	Reves River Sing	Music	$2,000
The Marble Collection	The Marble Collection	Literature	$75
The New England Folk Music Archives	Surviving Hard Times	Music	$2,000
The Women's Educational Center, Inc	The Survivor Theatre Project	Theater	$2,000
Tobin School	Wheelock Family Theater	Theater	$480
Underground Railway Theater	Youth Underground	Theater	$2,000