Thirty-six Central Massachusetts artists have received a slice of $2.24 million in funding through the Boston-based Mass Cultural Council to pursue their creative disciplines.
A total of 447 artists throughout Massachusetts individually received $5,000 unrestricted grants from the state agency through its second annual Grants for Creative Individuals initiative. The program aims to equitably advance creative expression throughout the state, including in disciplines such as literature, theater, drag, and design, according to a March 6 press release from Mass Cultural Council.
The region’s grantees account for $180,000 of the agency’s total granted funding.
The agency reviewed 3,084 eligible applications, with grantees selected through a review process that evaluated their artistic achievements and commitments to their disciplines. The council considered geographic distribution, funding priorities, and scores from reviewers from the state’s creative and cultural sector. At 98%, almost all awardees are receiving their first grant through the initiative.
The Grants for Creative Individuals initiative was first established in 2024, born from the Mass Cultural Council’s’ Racial Equity Plan, prioritizing racial equity by addressing systemic inequities in Massachusetts, according to the agency’s website.
A full list of the Central Massachusetts grant recipients is below:
Adam Green of Northbridge
– Discipline: multidisciplinary
Alexander Bernhardt of Worcester
– Discipline: music
Amanda Gibson of Worcester
– Discipline: multidisciplinary
Ami Earley of Shrewsbury
– Discipline: multidisciplinary
Amy Bellamy of Framingham
– Discipline: music
Andrew Bain of Barre
– Discipline: visual arts
Andrew DiMola of Pepperell
– Discipline: music
Cherry Brice of Wayland
– Discipline: media arts
Devin Cole of Fitchburg
– Discipline: visual arts
Donna Gonzalez of Littleton
– Discipline: folk/traditional arts
Eden Olayiwole of Marlborough
– Discipline: multidisciplinary
Elizabeth Santa Lucia of Ayer
– Discipline: multidisciplinary
Heath Widdiss of Southborough
– Discipline: crafts
Heather Cassano of Uxbridge
– Discipline: media arts
Jason Widdiss of Shrewsbury
– Discipline: folk/traditional arts
Jean-Sebastien Duvilaire of Worcester
– Discipline: dance
Joel Libed of Hudson
– Discipline: theatre
Jonas Warner of Auburn
– Discipline: folk/traditional arts
Karin Trachtenberg of Southborough
– Discipline: theatre
Karina Santana of Worcester
– Discipline: visual arts
Lisa Borders of Hudson
– Discipline: literature
Manolo Mairena of Worcester
– Discipline: music
Margaret Carrier of Westborough
– Discipline: visual arts
Matthew Brooks of Hubbardston
– Discipline: visual arts
Melissa Cronin of Upton
– Discipline: media Arts
Natalia Gaudio of Westborough
– Discipline: dance
Nazario Garate of Millis
– Discipline: folk/traditional arts
Nilanjana Nambiar of Shrewsbury
– Discipline: dance
Rajesh Khare of Westborough
– Discipline: folk/traditional arts
Rita Mookerjee of Worcester
– Discipline: literature
Scott Boilard of Worcester
– Discipline: visual arts
Serafina Baronowski of Ashburnham
– Discipline: crafts
Teree Thomas of Worcester
– Discipline: multidisciplinary
Trevor Toney of Templeton
– Discipline: visual Arts
Uma Sankar of Shrewsbury
– Discipline: music
Xiang Li of Grafton
– Discipline: folk/traditional arts
Mica Kanner-Mascolo is a staff writer at Worcester Business Journal, who primarily covers the healthcare and diversity, equity, and inclusion industries.
