Carmen Plazas, Communications & Community Engagement Manager
Since the beginning of 2024, Mass Cultural Council has had the opportunity to partner with Governor Maura Healey and Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll to elevate the work of artists and creatives living and working in Massachusetts by displaying temporary exhibitions of their work in the Executive Suite of the State House where the offices of the Governor, Lt. Governor, and their staff are located.
The Agency has collaborated with the Office of the Governor to celebrate Black History, Climate Month, Pride Month, local artists from the Cape & Islands, and Hispanic Heritage Month.
“The State House is the People’s House. Tens of thousands of visitors from across the world come here to experience our rich culture and history, so it was important to us that we incorporate a range of inclusive voices and art to help tell our shared Massachusetts story,” said Governor Healey.
As part of the Hispanic Heritage Month exhibition – featuring Mass Cultural Council grant recipients Camilo Ramirez, Felipe Ortiz, and Michelle Falcón Fontánez – we also had the opportunity to co-host a special event with and for Latino artists and creative individuals.
The event included an exclusive tour of the Governor’s Ceremonial Office, an interactive panel discussion with the exhibiting artists, and a special activity led by Ramirez and Ortiz. Attendees included youth participants in Creative Youth Development programs from La Colaborativa (Chelsea), Inquilinos Boricuas en Acción (Boston), and Elevated Thought (Lawrence).
The young creatives in attendance shared some of their highlights from the day:
- “One thing that resonated with me today was Camilo Ramirez’s comment that an artist’s lineage is just as important as our cultural lineage.”
- “The way the artists described their inspiration. Love how Felipe Ortiz spoke about the inspiration of this ‘explosive art’ and the meaning behind it not being something to repeat over and over again. Sometimes our inspiration is just meant for the artists to know.”
- “Loved being surrounded by so many other creative people!”
- “One thing I heard that resonated with me was Felipe Ortiz talking about how tragedy and trauma can play a big part in art making.”
We thank all our colleagues at the Governor’s Office, Ayub Tahlil and Valentina Amaro in particular, for creating this space to uplift the power of culture at the People’s House.