Massachusetts Artists Leaders Coalition

Artists leaders and artist-run groups addressing policy issues that affect artists in Massachusetts

Justice Lowy gives go-ahead for Berkshire Museum art sale

The Supreme Judicial Court approved the settlement reached between the Berkshire Museum and Attorney General Healey’s office in early March this year. The museum can now sell up to $55 million of the museum’s art at an auction scheduled for May.

“Based on the Attorney General’s investigation into the sale and her assent to the requested relief, the Museum has satisfied its burden of establishing that it has become impossible or impracticable to administer the Museum strictly in accordance with its charitable purpose,” Lowy wrote, “thus entitling the Museum to relief.” ~Berkshire Eagle, April 5, 2018

Announcement of the decision came as a significant disappointment to those wishing to preserve the museum’s collection. Although Healey’s office will supervise the sale, opponents were dismayed that Judge Lowy didn’t appoint an independent financial monitor. (more…)

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Next Step in State Budget Process: The House Ways & Means Budget Release- April 11th

MALC is actively following the Commonwealth’s FY19 budget process. We watch for several “line items” in the budget- the Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC), funding to our libraries, the tourism funding formula, and the film tax credit program. We also monitor what is filed in the “outside” section(s) of the budget.

The first step in our state budget process was the release of the Governor’s budget in January.  The second step is the release of the House Ways & Means proposed budget on Wednesday, April 11th.  MALC will report in our blog on Wednesday, and the days that follow, on this second step of the budget process. (more…)

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Final FY2018 Federal Funding Levels for Cultural Agencies

The following details of the NEA funding increase is provided via the Arts Action Fund: Breaking News : Arts Victory in Congress!, March 21, 2018

Late Wednesday night, Congress released the details of its delayed current year FY 2018 Omnibus spending bill. I am pleased to share that arts advocates like you helped convince Congress to reject President Trump’s proposal to terminate the nation’s cultural agencies. In fact, Congress has allocated an INCREASE in funding for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) to $152.849 million each.

This victory is such a fitting tribute to last week’s passing of Congressional Arts Caucus Co-Chair Representative Louise Slaughter, who spent her career in Congress fighting for the arts. She had most recently co-authored an Arts Advocacy Day “Dear Colleague” letter to her fellow Members of Congress recruiting a record number of 166 House Democrats and Republicans to sign a joint letter to House Appropriators to increase arts funding in America.
(more…)

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NEA Receives Funding Increase!

In February, the Trump Administration released its Fiscal Year 2019 budget proposal. Within it, the administration sought to eliminate the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) for the second year in a row. Fortunately,  last week the United States Congress once again rejected this path and approved funding for both agencies.

The NEA and NEH, both independent federal agencies that fund arts programs throughout the nation, were approved for a funding increase. The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), public radio, and libraries also received funding increases within the Congressional budget. On Friday, President Trump signed off on the budget.

The fight to keep the agencies funded was led by The Americans for the Arts. For details on the funding increase, see their article here: https://www.americansforthearts.org/news-room/press-releases/americans-for-the-arts-reacts-to-1528-million-funding-increase-to-each-nea-neh

Thank you to everyone who joined MALC’s call to action and voiced their support for arts funding to their congressional representatives.