Bethann Steiner, Public Affairs Director
Five months and 11 days into Fiscal Year 2021, Governor Baker signed the FY21 General Appropriations Act – the state’s $45.9 billion operating budget – into law. While the Governor proposed several policy amendments and vetoed $156 million in spending, Mass Cultural Council is deeply appreciative that he retained the Legislature’s level funding recommendation for the Agency – $18,180,000. The Agency’s staff is now using this figure – $18.2M – to finalize a FY21 spending plan which will be presented to our governing Council for approval during their January 7, 2021 meeting.
The Commonwealth’s primary investment in arts and culture is traditionally made through Mass Cultural Council’s line item in the annual state budget. Mass Cultural Council is thrilled to receive level funding in FY21, a year truly like no other, and is committed to quickly investing these public dollars into grant programs and core services to support working artists, cultural practitioners, and cultural nonprofit organizations; and begin to recover from the staggering economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Today Mass Cultural Council recognizes and thanks all who worked to secure this funding: our partners in the House of Representatives, and the Massachusetts Senate, our statewide advocacy partners at MASSCreative and Mass Humanities, and all of you who engaged in the budget process at each step of the way to remind policymakers on Beacon Hill why investing in arts and culture is essential. Thank You!