Cultural Council

The Dartmouth Cultural Council is one of a statewide network of over 300 Local Cultural Councils (LCC) that annually receives funds from the Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC), a state agency. These funds are used to award Local Cultural Council Grants for local cultural enrichment programs. The Dartmouth Cultural Council annually awards grants on a competitive basis to artists and organizations that provide a variety of arts, humanities and other cultural benefits to the citizens of Dartmouth, MA.

Members

• Karen Quigley
• John Terry
• Anthony Miraglia
• Lorraine Granda
• Ellen Cavanaugh

Responsibilities

Members are appointed by the Dartmouth Select Board and serve for up to two consecutive three-year terms. Each volunteer council member must complete an MCC-sponsored training session in order to preserve the streamline status that the Dartmouth Cultural Council has in its relationship with the MCC. The Dartmouth Cultural Council members elect their own governing officers. Every three years, the Dartmouth Cultural Council holds a community input meeting to solicit community input and distribute information on the grant application process.

The deadline for LCC grant applications is generally in mid-October of each year. In order to be considered, ten copies of the grant application found on the MCC website, and ten copies of any support materials must be postmarked and submitted by the deadline. The annual amount of funds available to Dartmouth Cultural Council for grant awards is dependent on legislative appropriations and state funding allocations.

The Dartmouth Cultural Council encourages diverse applications for creative projects that significantly benefit all Dartmouth residents, including programs benefiting school-age children and the elderly. Projects taking place in Dartmouth's neighboring towns will be considered, however, specific documentation is requested that clearly defines the number of Dartmouth residents directly impacted by the applicant's project. In order to prevent any applicant from becoming dependent upon funding from the Dartmouth Cultural Council, the Council does not fund the same applicant for more than 3 consecutive years. The Dartmouth Cultural Council is particularly interested in first-time applicants. Out-of-town applicants or artists without local sponsors will not receive funding. The sponsor/non-profit organization submitting the proposal is fully responsible for managing the project. The Dartmouth Cultural Council does not provide managerial assistance to the applicant.