Calling All Artists: Apply Now for Belmont Cultural Council Grants

Whether you are a Belmont artist seeking to create the next "Sistine Chapel" or if your artistic dreams are a slight more modest, the Belmont Cultural Council can provide a bit of financial assistance to achieve those goals.

Organizations, schools and individuals with creative ideas for cultural activities and events in Belmont are invited to apply for Council grants. 

Grant applications are being accepted now and must be postmarked by Oct. 15 to be considered for the 2014 funding cycle.

These small grants, usually in the $200 to $600 range, will help fund a variety of artistic projects and activities in Belmont including exhibits, festivals, short-term artist residencies or performances in schools, workshops and lectures. 

This year, the Belmont Cultural Council will distribute approximately $4,200. 

Recent Council grants have helped fund a public mural on Trapelo Road, a song-and-story performance for children at the Belmont Public Library, a Winslow Homer event at the Belmont Woman's Club, and a dance performance at the Beech Street Center. 

The Belmont Cultural Council is part of a network of 329 Local Cultural Councils serving the 351 cities and towns in the Commonwealth. The LCC Program is the largest grassroots cultural funding network in the nation, supporting thousands of community-based projects in the arts, sciences and humanities every year. 

The state legislature provides an annual appropriation to the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency, which then allocates funds to each community. 

For grant application forms, specific guidelines, and more on the Belmont Cultural Council, or contact Anne Quirk, co-chair of the Belmont Cultural Council

Further information about the Commonwealth’s Local Cultural Council Program is available at its web site.