By Steve Urbon
Posted Jun 13, 2017 at 8:19 PM
Updated Jun 13, 2017 at 8:19 PM
DARTMOUTH — The Community Foundation of Southeastern Massachusetts on Tuesday featured Anita Walker, executive director of the Massachusetts Cultural Council, who let the foundation’s annual meeting know that the MCC is willing, even eager, to explore new ways of thinking about the role that arts and culture has in a community.
Walker’s keynote speech at the UMass Dartmouth Charlton College of Business came with a background of strong growth in the foundation’s assets. Chairman Seth Garfield summed up the positive results in the foundation’s bank account. A return on investment of 8.7 percent was in large part responsible for a total assets of $32.7 million. With that in capital, the foundation gave out $2.3 million in scholarships to 130 recipients. It issued 355 other grants of varying size.
Now it is embarking on another line of philanthropy: Development of arts and culture not just for economic development but for improving lives for the whole community.
Walker said that she considers New Bedford to be the poster child for cultural development. Ten years ago, most people wouldn’t go downtown in New Bedford after 5 p.m. But thanks to AHA! (Art, History and Architecture) nights, various organizations and business have made the downtown a popular and safe destination that does credit to the entire community.
The late President John F. Kennedy, Walker said, knew the value of arts and culture so he created the National Endowment for the Arts. He didn’t live to see it blossom, but Walker said that JFK saw arts and culture as central to a democracy.
Original story here.
Updated Jun 13, 2017 at 8:19 PM
DARTMOUTH — The Community Foundation of Southeastern Massachusetts on Tuesday featured Anita Walker, executive director of the Massachusetts Cultural Council, who let the foundation’s annual meeting know that the MCC is willing, even eager, to explore new ways of thinking about the role that arts and culture has in a community.
Walker’s keynote speech at the UMass Dartmouth Charlton College of Business came with a background of strong growth in the foundation’s assets. Chairman Seth Garfield summed up the positive results in the foundation’s bank account. A return on investment of 8.7 percent was in large part responsible for a total assets of $32.7 million. With that in capital, the foundation gave out $2.3 million in scholarships to 130 recipients. It issued 355 other grants of varying size.
Now it is embarking on another line of philanthropy: Development of arts and culture not just for economic development but for improving lives for the whole community.
Walker said that she considers New Bedford to be the poster child for cultural development. Ten years ago, most people wouldn’t go downtown in New Bedford after 5 p.m. But thanks to AHA! (Art, History and Architecture) nights, various organizations and business have made the downtown a popular and safe destination that does credit to the entire community.
The late President John F. Kennedy, Walker said, knew the value of arts and culture so he created the National Endowment for the Arts. He didn’t live to see it blossom, but Walker said that JFK saw arts and culture as central to a democracy.
Original story here.