New grant, development training program offered to City artists

BOSTON - Monday, September 12, 2016 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh today announced the launch of Boston's Assets for Artists Program, a joint program between the Mayor's Office of Arts and Culture and the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA) that will offer matched savings grants and professional development workshops to artists in Boston.

With financial support from the Boston Cultural Council, Massachusetts Cultural Council, and  Massachusetts Growth Capital Corporation, ten or more Boston artists will receive seed grants of $1,000 - $2,000 to invest in the expansion of their creative enterprise. The grants, together with professional development training and individualized support for business planning, are a proven career-building model to help working artists advance their careers. The individualized, professional development trainings cover a range of topics including personal finance, goal-setting, marketing and public relations, and business planning.

"As we continue to invest in individual artists in Boston, we are encouraged by the amount of support we've received from our partners in the arts community to help ensure their growth in Boston," said Mayor Walsh. "Programs likeAssets for Artists offer a range of support services that are helping Boston artists thrive in their chosen profession and contributing to a diverse and creative talent pool in the City of Boston."

Assets for Artists is a program founded in 2008 by MASS MoCA with the mission to help artist-entrepreneurs achieve financial stability and business growth. Assets for Artists partners with various cultural organizations to bring its innovative programming to communities throughout the northeast. The program has assisted more than 500 artists in five states, leveraging over $500,000 in working capital for individual artists, while delivering hundreds of hours of practical, artist-focused financial and business training.

"It's exciting for us to extend this well-tested program into Boston's vibrant and growing community of artists," said MASS MoCA Director Joseph Thompson. "This program - and Route 2 - is a two-way street: we learn a lot about the differing needs of artists in each community served by Asset for Artists."

Keeping artists in Boston is a stated goal of the Boston Creates Cultural Plan, launched earlier this summer.  Assets for Artists will be a key implementation initiative for the plan, providing educational opportunities and business development training for local artists.

"We are so pleased to be able to expand opportunities for Boston artists to receive the well-honed services of the Assets for Artists program," said Julie Burros, Chief of Arts and Culture for the City of Boston. "It's exciting to bring together this partnership in support of the largest and most diverse artist community of any city in New England."

Assets for Artists is accepting applications from Boston-based artists until September 30, 2016. For more information about the program and its guidelines, visit their website.

Mayor's Office of Arts and Culture (MOAC)

The Mayor's Office of Arts and Culture's mission is to support artists, the cultural sector, and to promote access to the arts for all. The office houses the Boston Cultural Council, the Boston Art Commission, and the Poet Laureate program. Responsibilities include leading up the City's cultural plan, Boston Creates; managing the Boston Artist-in-Residence program; curating exhibitions in City Hall; and operating the historic Strand Theater in Dorchester. For more information, go to the Office of Arts and Culture's webpage.

MASS MoCA is one of the world's liveliest (and largest) centers for making and enjoying today's most important art, music, dance, theater, film, and video. Hundreds of works of visual and performing art have been created on its 19th-century factory campus during fabrication and rehearsal residencies, making MASS MoCA among the most productive sites in the country for the creation and presentation of new art. More platform than box, MASS MoCA strives to bring to its audiences art experiences that are fresh, engaging, and transformative.