PAST ACTION: sector letter to the HOUSE AND SENATE for fy26 priorities

Written By Kelsey Rode

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Features Clara Hevia of the Commonwealth Shakespeare Company performing at the State House and holding a basket of flowers. Floating triangles are decorative.

 

The MASSCreative Action Network is organizing support for $28 million for the Mass Cultural Council (0640-0300) and $17 million for the Massachusetts Tourism Trust Fund (7008-0902) in the state’s FY26 Budget.


In January, we sent out a call to take action on the Healey-Driscoll Administration’s FY26 Budget and more than 700 individuals and cultural organizations signed onto our budget request letter. On January 22, 2025, Gov. Healey filed her budget and proposed $26,045,152 for the Mass Cultural Council in FY26, essentially level-funding the agency.

On March 10th, the Joint Committee on Ways and Means started their statewide hearings to learn from different sectors about their FY26 Budget priorities. The Mass Cultural Council was invited to testify at the March 10th hearing in Gloucester and shared their request for $28 million for the agency. The Joint Committee has scheduled six more hearings that will take place before the House and Senate Ways and Means Committees release their proposed budgets. The House will debate their budget the last week in April and the Senate will debate their budget the third week of May. You can read more about the state budgeting process on our blog.

 
 

The Mass Cultural Council’s annual operating and grantmaking budget is approved each year through the state budget. The Mass Cultural Council’s budget is also the single largest annual public investment made towards arts and culture in Massachusetts. In FY25, our coalition successfully advocated for increased funding for the Mass Cultural Council at $26.9 million.

According to the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies, arts and culture account for $28.6 billion in economic value, 135,000 jobs, and 4.1% of the Commonwealth’s economy. Contributed economic value by arts and culture ranked second compared to other key sectors, including retail, construction, and education. In 2023, Massachusetts’ travel and tourism sector generated $23.6 billion in spending from 52.3 million domestic and international travelers, which in turn generated $2.3 billion in state and local taxes.


With ongoing concerns over federal funding streams, it’s critical that the creative sector stands in solidarity for the strongest possible state-level support for arts, culture and creativity.

More than 200 advocates signed onto the MASSCreative Action Network’s letter urging House and Senate leadership to propose $28 million for the Mass Cultural Council (0640-0300) and $17 million for the Massachusetts Tourism Trust Fund (7008-0902) in their FY26 Budgets. You can read the letter below.

 
 
Resources
A Guide To Hearing And Giving Testimony

An important part of the governing process is public hearings. These occur on all levels of government (Federal, State, and Local). Understanding the hearing process and how you can participate will make you a more effective advocate for a more equitable and inclusive creative sector.

INSIDE THE STATE BUDGETING PROCESS

Maintaining and increasing public investment in the creative community requires constant and broad grassroots activism throughout the annual budget process.

NonProfit Organizations & Advocacy

There is a lot of misinformation on what a nonprofit can and cannot do when it comes to advocating for its interests and the needs of the communities they serve. Check out our Nonprofits and Advocacy Resource on how your organization effectively and confidently advocate for a more equitable and inclusive creative sector of all residents in the Commonwealth.

6/19/20 - POLICY & ACTION UPDATE WEBINAR

In this webinar, we took time to honor Juneteenth and Pride Month, and talked about the status of arts education funding and voting protections.

6/12/20 - POLICY & ACTION UPDATE WEBINAR

In this webinar, we discussed mapping our roles in a social change ecosystem, talked about proposed legislation to address COVID-19 voting options, the 2020 Census, and reviewed federal and state supports for the creative sector.

6/5/20 - policy & action update webinars

In this webinar, we had a community conversation about mapping our social change roles during times of crisis.

News
Democracy without the Anxiety AND triggers: RICHELINE’S REFLECTION

Read Richeline's blog about attending the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s Annual Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C. and how artists can play a role in strengthening communities and democracy.

MOAC CULTURAL INVESTMENT GRANT ANNOUNCEMENT

Last week, MOAC for the City of Boston announced that they are establishing a $10M multi-year Cultural Investment Grant funded through local ARPA appropriations.

Creative Sector Advocates Request $5 Per Resident in Healey’s FY24 Proposal

“Budgets are a reflection of our priorities: what we choose to spend public funds on is in direct relationship to what we value. The creative sector plays a crucial role in the vibrancy of our cities and towns. Artists, creative workers, and cultural organizations strengthen our connections to each other and our communities.” said Emily Ruddock, Executive Director of MASSCreative

Kelsey Rode
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