The Massachusetts Artists Leaders Coalition (MALC) is dedicated to empowering artists and promoting the arts, culture,\u00a0and the creative economy throughout the Commonwealth. We work to ensure that artists of all disciplines have a meaningful place at policy making tables\u00a0at all levels of government.<\/p>\n
Please\u00a0join\u00a0MALC<\/span><\/a>, like MALC on\u00a0Facebook<\/a>, sign up for our Artists Under the Dome\u00a0listserv<\/span><\/a>, and pen us in for our\u00a07th Annual Artists Under the Dome Event\u00a0<\/span><\/a>taking place on Nov. 13\u00a0at the Mass. State House (all of which is free)!<\/p>\n Boston is both\u00a0the state capital and the\u00a0cultural center of our Commonwealth. The individual elected\u00a0to serve as its\u00a0mayor come Tuesday, November 5, will greatly influence our Commonwealth\u2018s cultural affairs. The brighter Boston shines, the more artists will thrive in Massachusetts. Thus, MALC has closely followed Boston\u2019s mayoral campaign and has analyzed the candidates\u2019 respective arts and culture policies. Both candidates also completed the arts and culture “Create the Vote<\/span><\/a>” questionnaire provided by MassCreative. Artists and all interested parties are encouraged to sign up as “arts voters”\u00a0with MassCreative and “take the pledge<\/a>” to prioritize\u00a0arts, culture, and creativity.<\/p>\n MALC as a coalition does not promote or endorse\u00a0anyone for office. However, we do provide analysis and point out good policy.\u00a0We are very excited to\u00a0report that both candidates (John Connolly\u00a0<\/a>and\u00a0Marty Walsh<\/a>)\u00a0have written policies on their websites that impact our artists, arts, culture, and creative economy. This is a welcome\u00a0change from 4 years ago when only one candidate for mayor had an arts and culture\u00a0platform.\u00a0John\u00a0Connolly calls his arts and culture policy “Nurturing Arts in Boston<\/a>” and Marty Walsh calls his “Cultural Affairs<\/a>.” MALC would have liked to see a 10-20 page white paper on arts and culture from each candidate, but this is a fine start that will hopefully serve as a precedent for future campaigns.<\/p>\n MALC compared and contrasted the two final candidates’ arts and culture policies, which are posted on their respective websites. We encourage all artists and interested parties\u00a0to take a look at the policies, factor it into their thinking on the candidates, and above all vote!<\/p>\n Walsh was the\u00a0first candidate\u00a0who pledged\u00a0to create<\/a> a new cabinet level office to promote the creative sector. Walsh calls his new sector the \u201cDepartment of Cultural Affairs.\u201d Connolly subsequently pledged to do the same with what he calls the “Department of Arts and Culture. ” This is a crucial component to ensuring artists have a place at Boston’s policy making table.<\/p>\n Walsh’s website\u00a0specifies action items his Cultural Affairs office will work on with other agencies, including\u00a0the Diversity Office, Development Authority, Film Office, and\u00a0Commission on Elder\u00a0Affairs. It states, “Boston\u2019s artists of all disciplines, ages, and backgrounds are central to Marty\u2019s planned Artists First Initiative. This initiative will address artists\u2019 occupational health needs, professional development, affordable artist space, fair trade, and compensation.”\u00a0MALC would like to see more detail on this, particularly regarding occupational health needs,\u00a0but it is a great start.<\/p>\n Walsh’s website says his Cultural Affairs office\u00a0“will be a key component in implementing his larger vision integrating the arts throughout Boston\u2019s policies, initiatives, and programs,” and that under this new office “the arts will also be integrated across all City departments and programs through substantive engagement with Boston residents and employees.” This is a very encouraging vision of the new office and MALC would like to see the policy drill down to specific action items that will implement this philosophical stance.<\/p>\n Walsh’s website\u00a0further commits to\u00a0fair trade and fair labor standards when the city contracts with artists; counteracting age discrimination of Master Artists as they age up; culture driven economic development; cultural diplomacy to build relationships with artists, arts organizations, and\u00a0Boston’s sister cities; and growing the film sector. MALC is very pleased to see fair trade included in Walsh’s platform as we have been\u00a0focused on fair trade\u00a0<\/a>for years.<\/p>\n Connolly’s\u00a0website\u00a0states his Department of Arts and Culture will \u201cengage Boston\u2019s artists and residents in a citywide cultural planning process\u201d and \u201cfocus its efforts entirely on cultivating a thriving arts community in Boston.\u201d This is a sound philosophical foundation, but MALC would like to see specific action items specified.<\/p>\n Connolly’s website commits to\u00a0“providing arts and music education to all BPS students,” “increasing direct funding and partnership support for Boston\u2019s arts organizations,” “supporting the development of live-work space for artists,” “streamlining permitting to make it easier for events and pop-up galleries,”\u00a0and “supporting public art and world-class festivals.” These are great items that indicate an understanding of the foundational importance of art throughout our communities.<\/p>\n Regarding live-work space for artists, Connolly proposes “we should look for opportunities to make city-owned land available for the creation of limited equity coops for artists, like 300 Summer Street. This is a way to give working artists some of the stability and benefits of homeownership while ensuring the properties\u2019 affordability in perpetuity.” This is the kind of direct action MALC likes to see proposed. We would\u00a0like to see more specifics on how Connolly’s other goals will be achieved, but the commitment to these items is an excellent sign.<\/p>\n MALC also analyzed the extent to which the candidates include art and culture in the other policies that form their platforms. Connolly’s website states he will increase “the supply of microlofts to create affordable options for recent graduates, young artists, and young professionals,” under his\u00a0“Strengthening Vibrant and Affordable Neighborhoods<\/a>” policy;\u00a0remove “barriers to small businesses and our creative economy” under his “Making Boston A Competitive Job Creator<\/a>” policy; and cites “leveraging the resources of The Office of Arts & Tourism to bring the Gay Games to Boston,” under his “Embracing Our Diversity<\/a>” policy. These are important policy objectives, though MALC would like to see stipulated action items and expanded arts and culture integration within his other policies.<\/p>\n Walsh includes arts and culture within his “Education<\/a>,” “Economic Development<\/a>,” “Parks and Recreation<\/a>,” “Small Business<\/a>,”\u00a0“Technology and Innovation<\/a>,” “Housing<\/a>,” “Workforce Development<\/a>,” and “Elder Care and Services<\/a>” policies. He lays out specific arts-related action\u00a0items within each policy\u00a0and further cross-references to build a comprehensive and cohesive platform. For example,\u00a0Walsh pledges to promote the arts within his Cultural Affairs policy and to provide senior citizens with \u201cthe respect and support that allows for a fulfilling and independent life\u201d within his Elder\u00a0Care and Services\u00a0policy. As part of his Elder\u00a0policy,\u00a0Walsh calls for creating \u201carts-engagement\u201d programs run by professional artists at senior centers and senior housing. Then, within his Parks and Recreation policy,\u00a0Walsh calls for specifically providing arts-based programs for seniors in Boston\u2019s parks. This is indicative of well-thought out professional policy building.<\/p>\n Walsh’s website\u00a0describes how he developed his policies<\/a>, working with “20 different teams across\u00a020 different policy areas” and structuring each policy on 4 pillars:\u00a0Access, Accountability, Transparency, and Collaboration. MALC would like to see Connolly’s website detail how he developed and structured his policies.<\/p>\n Connolly’s website\u00a0translates into 7 languages other than English, while Walsh’s website provides his story in Spanish in addition to English. MALC is not qualified to judge the quality and accuracy of these translations, but such outreach is certainly promising. It would be nice to see more translation and more languages on Walsh’s website.<\/p>\n Walsh’s website lists accomplishments he has had and actions he has taken to empower artists and\u00a0promote arts, culture, and the creative economy during his 16 years as a state legislator. Of particular value to MALC is his co-sponsorship\u00a0of an\u00a0“Act Establishing a Disaster and Emergency Aid Fund for Massachusetts Artists<\/a>.” Connolly does not lay out arts and culture accomplishments from his 6 years as a Boston City Councilor on his website. MALC would like to see that.<\/p>\nThe Election of a Generation<\/h2>\n
The Major Points<\/h2>\n
The Importance of Arts and Culture<\/h2>\n