FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 3, 2008

Contact: Gregory Liakos, Communications Director 617-727-3668 x343
or Rob Watson, Communications Coordinator 617-727-3668 x268

LEGISLATURE PRESERVES CULTURAL FACILITIES FUND
House & Senate Recommend $400,000 Increase for MCC

(Boston, MA) The Massachusetts Legislature has approved a state budget for the new 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).

If the Governor supports the Legislature’s fiscal 2009 budget, the new allocation of $6.5 million for the Cultural Facilities Fund would allow MCC and its partner MassDevelopment to seek new grant applications for that program later this year.

The Cultural Facilities Fund was established in the 2006 Economic Stimulus Bill. In two years the Fund has invested more than $23 million into the creative economy through grants to 120 cultural organizations and communities to build, repair, and expand their facilities.

The budget passed by the Legislature would also increase MCC's appropriation by roughly $400,000 to nearly $12.7 million for fiscal year 2009.

"We are very grateful to our supporters in the Legislature for maintaining the Commonwealth's investment in arts and culture during a time of economic uncertainty," said Anita Walker, MCC Executive Director. "We also thank the Massachusetts Advocates for the Arts, Sciences, and Humanities (MAASH), the Boston Foundation, and the many cultural leaders and citizens who advocated on our behalf. Your voices ensured continued public investment in the outstanding cultural organizations, communities, and artists that make Massachusetts a leader in the creative economy."

The Legislature finalized the budget after approving a conference committee report that proposed spending levels for arts and culture through the Cultural Facilities Fund and MCC. The conference committee was charged with reconciling the House and Senate versions of the state budget. The Governor has ten days to review and approve the budget, or make vetoes or reductions. The new fiscal year began 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.