Now + There receives $27K in unrestricted funds from the City of Boston for 2022 projects.
Last week, the City of Boston demonstrated its commitment to arts, culture, and the value it places in creating a vibrant and equitable city. Now + There was one of 192 arts and cultural organizations awarded an unrestricted grant from the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture, as part of the Boston Cultural Council/Reopen Creative Boston funding.
Art and culture are as vital to a thriving city as affordable housing, transportation, open space, education, and healthcare. In addition to providing unexpected public art experiences, Now + There projects help lower barriers to entry for local artists to participate in community curation through public art and encourage Boston residents to see their city in new ways.
“Artists play a crucial role in sparking social change by creating interactive genre-bending art experiences that foster dialogue and help us imagine new futures. We’re honored to be included among the 192 organizations that foster a more equitable Boston.”
- Kate Gilbert, N+T Executive Director
At Now + There, we believe making public art is a way of practicing democracy — especially in a time when we need to come together. It can help visualize our differences, bridge connections, and chart a new path forward as an open, unified city. With support from The City of Boston and the Boston Cultural Council, we can enter a new chapter in 2022. Funds will enable:
the completion of a to-be-announced project that reminds us of our global interconnectedness and the pandemic’s impact,
continued support for the four artists in Accelerator Cohort Four, and the community-based works they are creating
emotional and financial support recognizing the diligent contributions of a small but mighty staff who carried this organization through dark times
welcome racially and culturally diverse new teammates with salaries and benefits that honor their work — and overall support a thriving cultural scene in Boston.
Continued support for N+T Asks, a hyper-local online program that engages artists and communities in conversations to reenvision their neighborhoods with social and economic equity as the entry points
We’re honored to be part of an esteemed group of grantees who are, “a wonderful reflection of the diversity and vibrancy of Boston’s arts community…who play a vital role in shaping our city,” as Mayor Michelle Wu described in the award announcement. We look forward to bringing more thought-provoking and bold public art to Boston in 2022 with this critical support.
Image: Augment by Nick Cave in Uphams Corner, photo by Faith Ninivaggi (c)