The Northampton Arts Council works to support and nurture the arts in the city of Northampton. The Council awards grants twice each year to artists and arts groups from both state and locally-raised funds, and seeks to improve public awareness of the arts. Its' goals include maintaining and preserving the rich and diverse cultural heritage of Northampton, programming such annual events of interest to the community as First Night Northampton and Transperformance.

Tuesday, May 17, 2016

State awards $300,000 to the Northampton Community Arts Trust 33 Hawley Street Project


State awards $300,000 to the Northampton Community Arts Trust 33 Hawley Street Project

Northampton, MA —The Northampton Community Arts Trust (NCAT) has received a $300,000 capital grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Facilities Fund. The award will be directed to the second phase of renovations to the Arts Trust’s property at 33 Hawley Street in Northampton.

“This grant gives us an excellent foundation on which to build as we wrap up our first phase of renovations. This preliminary phase focused on providing accessibility and creating an energy efficient shell that will ensure affordable operating overhead costs for this building in the future,” said Arts Trust President Richard Wagner. “Phase one focused on transformation. Now we move on to utilization of the interior spaces of the building. Having this $300,000 matching grant at hand will add enormous momentum to our capital campaign to fund phase two construction and, ultimately, open the doors to the public.”

The grant was one of 68 capital grants awarded, totaling nearly $9 million. It was among the highest grants awarded in the state.

Northampton Mayor David Narkewicz on hearing of the award said, "I am extremely thankful to Massachusetts Cultural Council and our state legislators for awarding this grant to the Northampton Community Arts Trust in support of their exciting effort to create affordable creative work space for the arts at 33 Hawley Street. This is an important project for both the cultural and economic vibrancy of downtown Northampton and I'm proud to support it."

Senate President Stan Rosenberg (D-Amherst) responded to news of the grant by saying: “Northampton’s arts community must be supported in order to continue to thrive, and to bring so much not only to Northampton but to the entire region. I was glad to support the Massachusetts Cultural Council’s grant to the Arts Trust’s 33 Hawley Street project, and I will never stop working to make the arts more accessible and affordable all across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.”

State Representative Peter V. Kocot (D-Northampton), who also lent his support to the project, added, "I want to take this opportunity to thank Anita Walker and Jay Paget at the Massachusetts Cultural Council for supporting this great project and the Northampton Community Arts Trust's vision to support creative work in the community,” said. “The entire Arts Trust team are turning a dream into a reality, one that will provide performance space and program support for Northampton’s creative community for many years to come".

The Northampton Community Arts Trust, Inc., is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization incorporated in May, 2010. Its mission is to protect and ensure the long-term vitality of the greater Northampton community through the acquisition and conservation of affordable space for the creation, presentation and exhibition of the arts. In addition to the Massachusetts Cultural Council and MassDevelopment, funding for the project has come from generous individuals and the Beveridge Family Foundation, the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts, C&S Wholesale Grocers, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Office of Administration and Finance, Smith College, and the Wellspring Fund of the Peace Development Fund.

For more information on the Northampton Community Arts Trust, please visit us online at:

www.northamptonartstrust.org

www.facebook.com/NorthamptonCommunityArtsTrust

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