Welcome to MALC

The goal of the Massachusetts Artists Leaders Coalition (MALC) is to ensure that Massachusetts artists of all disciplines have a voice in public dialogs, decisions, and key public policy initiatives that impact the artists community and the creative economy. MALC works to ensure that artists have a permanent place at the policy making table.

By “artists of all disciplines”, MALC includes visual artists, writers, poets, storytellers, dancers, musicians, moving image makers, performers, and any and all people that work at creative expression to convey cultural ideas.

MALC brings artist leaders and artist-run organizations together around key statewide issues facing Massachusetts artists. Though individual participants may have different perspectives on how best to address the issues facing the artists community, MALC members are committed to working together to improve the social and economic position of all Massachusetts artists.

MALC does not replicate or duplicate existing organizations and their efforts. Instead the coalition augments the work of existing arts organizations by addressing the issues that directly impact individual artists’ livelihoods. MALC members share models, policies, and methods that can be implemented on the local level of cities, towns and counties, as well as on a state and national level. The coalition encourages artist leaders to then join and work with local and state organizations addressing such key issues as arts education reform, funding arts councils, creative economy, etc. Through this approach the best-practices shared and developed by the artist leaders within MALC can be shared throughout the Commonwealth for the benefit of all working artists.

MALC endeavors to empower the artists’ community, support existing artist leaders, and to mentor new artist leaders to create a continuum of artists leadership supporting the various artists communities and the creative economy.