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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 5, 2008
Contact: Greg Liakos,
Communications Director 617-727-3668 x343 or
Rob Watson, Communications
Coordinator 617-727-3668 x268
HOUSE PRESERVES CULTURAL FACILITIES
FUND
Votes to Recommend $400,000 increase for MCC
(Boston, MA) The Massachusetts House of Representatives
has voted to recommend a state budget for the coming fiscal year
that calls for $6.5 million for the Massachusetts Cultural Facilities
Fund and a $400,000 budget increase for the Massachusetts Cultural
Council (MCC).
Late last week, the House overwhelmingly approved two amendments
to increase the budget recommendations for the Facilities Fund and
the MCC from figures that were proposed earlier by the House Ways
and Means Committee. The amendments were sponsored by Representative
Eric Turkington of Falmouth, House Chair of the Joint Committee
on Tourism, Arts, and Cultural Development.
"We are deeply grateful to Chairman Turkington, Speaker DiMasi
and their colleagues in the House for recognizing the value of the
state’s investment in arts and culture during a time of economic
uncertainty," said Anita Walker, MCC Executive Director. “We
are also grateful for the Massachusetts Advocates for the Arts,
Sciences, and Humanities (MAASH), the Boston Foundation, and the
many cultural leaders and citizens who advocated for this critical
investment in our state’s future.”
The Cultural Facilities Fund was established in 2006, and has since
pumped more than $23 million into the creative economy through grants
to cultural organizations, schools, and communities to build, repair,
and expand their facilities.
The House budget would increase MCC's appropriation by roughly
$400,000 to nearly $12.7 million for fiscal year 2009.
The Senate Ways and Means Committee will release its version of
the state budget later this month. The two chambers must then agree
on a budget before sending it to the Governor for final approval.
The new fiscal year begins July 1.
About the Massachusetts Cultural Council
The Massachusetts Cultural Council promotes excellence, access,
education and diversity in the arts, humanities and interpretive
sciences, in order to improve the quality of life for all Massachusetts
residents and contribute to the economic vitality of our communities.
The MCC is committed to building a central place for arts and culture
in the everyday lives of communities across the Commonwealth. The
Council pursues this mission through a combination of grants, services,
and advocacy for cultural organizations, schools, communities, and
artists.
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© Massachusetts Cultural Council 2008
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