CELEBRATING LEADERS IN CULTURAL EXPLORATION, ENGAGEMENT, & EXCELLENCE

COMMONWEALTH AWARDS 2015

The Massachusetts Cultural Council presents the Commonwealth Awards to individuals and organizations that have made extraordinary contributions in the arts, humanities, and sciences.

The Awards have brought recognition to both the well-known and unsung heroes of our states cultural community since 1993.

1993

AWARDS

COMMONWEALTH

EST.

Charles D. BakerGovernor

OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR

COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTSSTATE HOUSE BOSTON, MA 02133

(617) 725-4000

CHARLES D. BAKERGOVERNOR

KARYN E. POLITOLIEUTENANT GOVERNOR

February 2015 Dear Friends:

On behalf of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, I send congratulations to the nominees and winners of this years Massachusetts Cultural Councils Commonwealth Awards.

Every two years, the Commonwealth Awards Ceremony highlights the importance of the arts, sciences and humanities, celebrating and recognizing the artists of this state and their creativitythat enrich our lives.

The philanthropy, youth development programs and community outreach spotlighted by the Commonwealth Awards Ceremony keep the arts alive and well in Massachusetts, and for that I say thank you.

Best wishes and enjoy the ceremony,

CHARLES D. BAKER GOVERNOR

KARYN E. POLITOLIEUTENANT GOVERNOR

OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR

COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTSSTATE HOUSE BOSTON, MA 02133

(617) 725-4000

CHARLES D. BAKERGOVERNOR

KARYN E. POLITOLIEUTENANT GOVERNOR

February 2015 Dear Friends:

On behalf of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, I send congratulations to the nominees and winners of this years Massachusetts Cultural Councils Commonwealth Awards.

Every two years, the Commonwealth Awards Ceremony highlights the importance of the arts, sciences and humanities, celebrating and recognizing the artists of this state and their creativitythat enrich our lives.

The philanthropy, youth development programs and community outreach spotlighted by the Commonwealth Awards Ceremony keep the arts alive and well in Massachusetts, and for that I say thank you.

Best wishes and enjoy the ceremony,

CHARLES D. BAKER GOVERNOR

KARYN E. POLITOLIEUTENANT GOVERNOR

Karyn E. PolitoLieutenant Governor

LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR

Anita WalkerExecutive DirectorMassachusetts Cultural Council

WELCOME to the 2015 Commonwealth Awards.

Once again the Massachusetts Cultural Council is honored to shine a spotlight on the extraordinary institutions and individuals who make the Commonwealths cultural life the envy of our nation. The achievements of todays honorees remind us that expanding the quality and availability of arts and cultural experiences to our citizens doesnt happen by accident. It takes leadership, generosity, and a commitment to excellence.

Today also presents us with an opportunity to celebrate youthe entire cultural sector. Your impact on the quality of life in Massachusetts continues to be significant. In the past year youve engaged more than 27,000 children in creative youth development programs. Youve offered over 40,000 public events thats an average of 120 events per day! And, youve pumped $1.2 billion directly into the states economy. You make our state a stronger and more desirable place to live, work, and visit.

The extraordinary group of institutions and individuals we honor today beautifully represents our states unique cultural fabric. Together, they tell a powerful story of the great public value of the arts, humanities, and sciencesand why our support for this work makes creativity work for Massachusetts.

Thank you for joining us today, and enjoy the ceremony.

Anita Walker Executive Director Massachusetts Cultural Council

MCCMISSIONThe Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC) is a state agency that promotes excellence, access, education, and diversity in the arts, humanities, and sciences to improve the quality of life for Massachusetts residents and contribute to the vitality of our communities. MCC pursues this mission through grants, services, and advocacy for nonprofit cultural organizations, schools, communities, and artists.The Agency receives an annual appropriation from the state Legislature and funds from the National Endowment for the Arts and other sources. These funds support a combination of MCC grants, services, and advocacy for nonprofit cultural organizations, schools, communities, and artists across Massachusetts. www.massculturalcouncil.org

GIANNA HITSOS

COURTNEY STEWART

NOE SOCHA

PERFORMERSTHE HANDEL AND HAYDN SOCIETY is dedicated to performing Baroque and Classical music at the highest level of artistic excellence and sharing that music with a broad and diverse audience. H+H does this through performances, tours, recordings, radio broadcasts, community outreach, and its Education Program, which annually reaches 10,000 youth from underserved communities in Greater Boston.

GIANNA HITSOS is a Music Vocal Major at Gordon College in MA. She is an autism advocate, singing and speaking to promote inclusion and change perceptions of autism one song at a time. Hitsos is an alumna of The Boston Conservatorys Program for Students on the Autism Spectrum.

NO SOCHA is a blues guitarist from the small town of Carpi, Italy. A graduate of Berklee College of Music, Noe pairs a fiery guitar technique with virtuoso harmonica playing, channeling the sounds of the Mississippi Delta with a hint of Hendrix-esque flavor.

COURTNEY STEWART is a multifaceted junior at Springfield Central High School with a driven spirit and a passion for the arts. He is perpetually immersed in school and community theatre, public services, sports, artistry, and holds the title of 2013 and 2014 Massachusetts State Champion of the Poetry Out Loud competition.

HANDEL + HAYDN SOCIETY

Senate President Stan Rosenberg of AmherstSenator William Brownsberger of BostonSenator Harriette Chandler of WorcesterSenator Sonia Chang-Daz of BostonSenator Viriato deMacedo of PlymouthSenator Linda Dorcena Forry of BostonSenator Benjamin Downing of PittsfieldSenator Eric Lesser of Longmeadow

Senator Bruce Tarr of GloucesterSenator James Welch of West SpringfieldRepresentative Tricia Farley-Bouvier of PittsfieldRepresentative Ann-Margaret Ferrante of GloucesterRepresentative Mary Keefe of Worcester

PERFORMANCEHANDEL + HAYDN SOCIETY

OPENING REMARKSGOVERNOR CHARLIE BAKER (INVITED)MCC BOARD CHAIR IRA LAPIDUSMCC EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ANITA WALKER

COMMONWEALTH AWARD PRESENTATIONS

PERFORMANCEGIANNA HITSOS, VIOLINIST

INTERMISSIONwith performance by NO SOCHA, BLUES/JAZZ GUITAR & HARMONICA

COMMONWEALTH AWARD PRESENTATIONS

PERFORMANCECOURTNEY STEWART, MASSACHUSETTS STATE CHAMPION, POETRY OUT LOUD, 2013 & 2014

THANK YOU TO OUR SCHEDULED PRESENTERS

WE ARE PROUD TO SUPPORT THE

MASSACHUSETTS CULTURAL COUNCILS

DEDICATION TO BRINGING ARTS, SCIENCES & HUMANITIES TO MASSACHUSETTS

AND OUR FRIEND, MAL SHERMAN,

CHAIR OF ITS ADVOCACY COMMITTEE

Marshall M. Sloane, Chairman Barry R. Sloane, President & CEO

Linda Sloane Kay, Executive Vice President

Allston Andover Beverly Boston Braintree Brookline Burlington Cambridge Everett Lynn Malden Medford Newton Peabody Quincy Salem Somerville Wellesley

Winchester Woburn

www.CenturyBank.com866-823-6887

Equal Housing Lender / Member FDIC

BRIDGET ALEXANDER DESIGN CONGRATULATES THE COMMONWEALTH AWARDS WINNERS AND ALL OF MASSACHUSETTS LEADERS IN CULTURAL EXPLORATION, ENGAGEMENT, AND EXCELLENCE.

the work:

say hello:

MILESTONES HANDEL + HAYDYN SOCIETY

FOUNDED IN BOSTON IN 1815, THE HANDEL AND HAYDN SOCIETY (H+H) is considered Americas oldest continuously performing arts organization and one of the nations preeminent choral and period instrument ensembles. It gave the American premieres of many choral masterworksamong them Handels Messiah (1818), Haydns Creation (1819), Bachs St. Matthew Passion (1879)and has played an active civic role for 200 years. Today, its mission is to enrich life and influence culture by performing Baroque and Classical music at the highest levels of artistic excellence, and by providing engaging, accessible, and broadly inclusive music education and training activities. Under Artistic Director Harry Christophers, H+H is widely known through its nine-program series at Bostons Symphony Hall, Jordan Hall, and Faneuil Hall; community programming; tours; WGBH and NPR broadcasts; and recordings. Each season, H+H engages 33,000 concertgoers. H+H has a base of 2,700 subscribers and 15,000 single ticket buyers, 25,000 radio and online listeners (WGBH), and 400,000 global listeners (NPR and American Public Media).

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H+H has built its presence beyond the concert hall by serving as an educator, resource center, and community partner. H+Hs Karen S. and George D. Levy Education Program, established in 1985, reaches 10,000 children each year in underserved Greater Boston communities. H+H also maintains partnerships with cultural and higher educational institutions. It offers college students opportunities to learn about and perform Baroque and Classical music; presents public programming at libraries, community centers, and museums; and hosts free lectures and symposia.Learn more at handelandhaydn.org.

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The Karen S. and George D. Levy Education Program, established in 1985, reaches 10,000 children each year in underserved Greater Boston communities.

THE MASSACHUSETTS CULTURAL COUNCIL

thanks the

SLATER FAMILY FOUNDATION for its generous support of the

Commonwealth Awards.

During his tenure, Rogers has created a legacy of opening doors to the Boston community and global audiences. He has transformed this world-class destination by expanding the Museums encyclopedic collection, presenting innovative exhibitions, enhancing arts education programs, enlarging the MFAs campus and renovating and expanding the Museums historic building.

MALCOLM ROGERS BECAME DIRECTOR OF THE MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS, BOSTON (MFA), IN 1994, a position later endowed as the Ann and Graham Gund Director. Rogers became the longest-serving director in MFA history in May 2014, and on September 1, he marked his 20th anniversary.

Rogers initiatives are driven by the MFAs mission: to serve a variety of people through direct encounters with works of art. This has included renovating and reopening both of the Museums historic entrances, which had been closed to the public for many years. In addition, Rogers eliminated admission fees for children 17 and younger, extended the Museums

A C H I E V E M E N TMALCOLM ROGERS

hours to 7-days a week (among the longest of any American art museum), and instituted a series of free community days and cultural events. Approximately 1 million visitors a year are exposed to infinite possibilities for education and inspiration at the Museum. Under Rogers leadership, the Museum underwent a transformative building renovation and expansion, including the Art of the Americas Wing and Ruth and Carl J. Shapiro Family Courtyard, which opened in 2010. Rogers also directed the renovation of the I.M. Pei-designed Linde Family Wing for Contemporary Art, which opened in 2011. Rogers has expanded the Museums encyclopedic collection with nearly 68,000 acquisitions, and more than 375 exhibitions have been presented during his tenure.Rogers is a Great Benefactor at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and a member of the Board of Overseers of the Boston Lyric Opera. Prior to his arrival at the MFA, Rogers served as Deputy Director and Deputy Keeper at the National Portrait Gallery, London. Rogers is an authority on 16th-, 17th-, and early 18th-century portraits, and has written extensively on Van Dycks English period, on photography and on London and its museums.

BEVERLY MORGAN-WELCH IS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE MUSEUM OF AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY IN BOSTON AND NANTUCKET. With three National Historic Landmarks, among which is the African Meeting House built in 1806 in Boston, under her leadership, the Museum received the National Trusts Preservation Honor Award for its historic restoration.

A C H I E V E M E N TBEVERLY MORGAN-WELCH

Creating new programming for children and adults through two Black Heritage Trails, collections, exhibitions, educator institutes, lectures, and concerts, Morgan-Welch presents the powerful history of New Englands 18th and 19th centuries black abolitionist and entrepreneurial communities. Partnerships are hallmarks of the advancement of the Museum of African American History under her leadership. In 2003, the National Trust for Historic Preservation welcomed the Museum into their family of historic sites. A partnership with the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston created two exhibits on Black Entrepreneurs of the 18th and 19th Centuries, while another partnership with Harvard University and the National Park Service, under the banner of Freedom Rising, presented a national conference and launched the Museums exhibit and year-long programming on the 150th anniversaries of the Emancipation Proclamation and the Massachusetts 54th Regiment, the first black troops from the North in the Civil War. Continuing partnerships

provide college-level Freedom Rising courses taught by Museum staff.Beverlys experience includes being Executive Director of the Greater Hartford Arts Council; Director of Development at the Wadsworth Atheneum; a Board Member and Chair of the Audit Committee of the Bank of Hartford; Manager of Community Relations at Raytheon and Connecticut Mutual Life Insurance Company; and Assistant Dean of Admission at Amherst College.In 2007 and 2011, Morgan-Welch chaired the Inauguration of Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick. A graduate of Smith College, her awards include the Smith Medal (2009), an Honorary Doctorate for Public Service from Suffolk University (2014), the Presidents Distinguished Service Award from Bunker Hill Community College (2014), and a You Rock award from Roxbury Community College (2014). She is a Member of the Antiquarian Society, Massachusetts Historical Society, Heritage Guild and Colonial Society of Massachusetts.

The largest town in the Commonwealth, Plymouth is teeming with nearly 400 years of history, natural beauty, outdoor recreation, and local arts and culture. Whether it be in the form of musical and theater performances, art shows and exhibits, Whale Watches out of Plymouth Harbor, or the immigration history realized in the Cordage Park complex and architecture, Plymouth stirs the imaginations of domestic and international visitors over a million and a half annually.

C R E AT I V E CO M M U N I T YTOWN OF PLYMOUTH

PLYMOUTH, MASSACHUSETTS IS KNOWN FOR ITS HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE AS THE FIRST PERMANENT AND SUSTAINING COLONY IN THE NEW WORLD. If Massachusetts invented America, then Plymouth invented Massachusetts.

Recently the Plymouth Bay Cultural District became the 27th in the State and the first on the South Shore. In a walkable three mile loop in the downtown and waterfront area, Plymouths cultural district is the largest with over 100 cultural assets that visitors and locals can enjoy year-round. Stewardship of beautiful existing buildings transformed for public uses exemplifies the towns commitment to preservation and enhances the cultural fabric of the community. The Plymouth Art Guild resides in beautiful gallery space at the former town library, and an intimate Spire Center for Performing Arts was realized last spring in a dormant church building.In 2020, Plymouth and the surrounding region will commemorate what is arguably the most significant anniversary our country has seen to date. The town is preparing for the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower Voyage, the founding of Plymouth Colony and the relationship between the Wampanoag people and the Pilgrims. It is, indeed, an American Story and a National Legacy. Plymouth has begun infrastructure improvements with road repairs, a plan for a waterfront promenade and way-finding improvements. Beautiful urban streetscapes have already begun construction. Plans include transportation and parking improvements. The educational, economic and innovative legacies resulting from this commemoration will benefit the Commonwealth for years to come.

C R E AT I V E CO M M U N I T YTOWN OF PLYMOUTH

AMERICAS OLDEST SEAPORT, THE CITY OF GLOUCESTER IS KNOWN THROUGHOUT THE WORLD AS AN AUTHENTIC, WORKING WATERFRONT COMMUNITY, A PLACE OF SPECTACULAR NATURAL BEAUTY, AND HOME TO A DIVERSE POPULATION OF ABOUT 30,000 RESIDENTS. Gloucester is proud of its culture, where a rich maritime heritage and visual art, writing, theater and music have co-existed for centuries.

C R E AT I V E CO M M U N I T YCITY OF GLOUCESTER

In recent years, Gloucester has been actively diversifying its traditional maritime economy while investing in its cultural economy. In 2012 Gloucesters Rocky Neck Cultural District became one of the first cultural districts designated in Massachusetts. The same year, the Gloucester HarborWalk was unveiled as a showcase for the citys working waterfront, beloved cultural institutions and world-class artists. In 2013, Gloucester became the first community in Massachusetts to be granted two cultural district designations with approval of the Gloucester Harbortown Cultural District by the MCC. Gloucester received the prestigious designations because of its unparalleled setting along the boundaries of the working waterfront and its rich concentration of museums, performing arts spaces, studios, galleries, and unique locally owned shops and restaurants.Gloucester is extremely proud to be recognized as a community that promotes and supports arts, culture, and the important contributions that artists make to our growing creative economy, said Mayor Sefatia Romeo Theken. From the HarborWalk to the new Cultural Center at Rocky Neck to the renovation of the Cape Ann Museum, Gloucester has emphasized cultural revitalization as a centerpiece of the Citys past, present and future.

C R E AT I V E YO U T H D E V E LO P M E N TBARRINGTON STAGE COMPANY

BARRINGTON STAGE COMPANY (BSC), FOUNDED IN 1995, IS A NOT-FOR-PROFIT PROFESSIONAL THEATER COMPANY IN THE BERKSHIRES (MA), with a three-fold mission: to produce top-notch, compelling work; to develop new plays and musicals; and to find fresh, bold ways of bringing new audiences into the theatre, especially young people. Embarking on its 21st season, BSC is now the fastest growing arts venue in Berkshire County, attracting more than 56,000 patrons each year to its performances, events and programs. BSC has produced several award-winning plays and musicals, including its 1995 production of The Diary of Anne Frank, which won the Elliott Norton/Boston Theatre Critics Award and its 1997 production of Cabaret, which won two Elliott Norton/Boston Theatre Critics Awards and four Outer Critics Awards. In 2004, BSC developed and premiered William Finn and Rachel Sheinkins musical, The 25th Annual Putnam

County Spelling Bee, which took Broadway by storm and captured two Tony Awards and three Drama Desk Awards. In 2013, BSCs production of On the Town received rave reviews and is currently enjoying a Broadway run. Throughout our history, BSC has persisted in its dedication to new work and emerging talents and in its efforts to engage youth through its nationally recognized educational programs. A mainstay in BSCs commitment to education and to local youth outreach is our Playwright Mentoring Project (PMP), an intensive, six-month, out-of school program that uses theatre as a catalyst to help at-risk youth learn valuable life skills that can aid them in developing positive self-images. Teens create an original performance piece based on their own stories in a safe and confidential environment where they can express themselves while developing conflict resolution skills. PMP currently serves 70 young people across Berkshire County, including two court-mandated groups in association with Juvenile Courts in Pittsfield and North Adams. In 2014, the PMP program concluded with 25 performances in schools and community centers and reached more than 1,850 Berkshire County residents. Notably, in 2007, PMP received the national Coming Up Taller Award from the Presidents Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, the nations highest honor for after-school and out-of-school programs.

BSC is the fastest growing arts venue in Berkshire County.

Barrs goal for its arts and culture program is to enhance cultural vitality in the Boston region.

C U LT U R A L P H I L A N T H R O P YBARR FOUNDATION

ESTABLISHED IN 1997, THE BARR FOUNDATION IS ONE OF THE LARGEST PRIVATE FOUNDATIONS IN NEW ENGLAND. With annual grantmaking of nearly $60 million, Barrs mission is to invest in human, natural, and cultural potential, serving as thoughtful stewards and catalysts.

The Foundations grantmaking focuses on providing quality education, mitigating climate change, and enhancing cultural vitality. From Barrs home in Boston, we principally support regional efforts, with targeted national engagement. Since 2010, the Foundation has also been exploring opportunities for global investments, predominantly in rural areas of Haiti, sub-Saharan Africa, and India.

Barrs goal for its arts and culture program is to enhance cultural vitality in the Boston region. Recent investments have been focused in four areas: 1) strengthening anchor organizations, 2) nurturing the next generation of artists and arts lovers, 3) promoting innovative practice, and 4) developing civic policy, leadership, and resources for arts and culture. Barr currently awards approximately $7 million annually in arts and culture funding. For more information, visit: www.barrfoundation.org.

C U LT U R A L P H I L A N T H R O P YHIGHLAND STREET FOUNDATION

FOR THE PAST 25 YEARS, THE MCGRATH FAMILY AND THE HIGHLAND STREET FOUNDATION HAVE WORKED TO ENRICH THE LIVES OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES IN MASSACHUSETTS by investing more than $155 million in worthy nonprofit organizations in the areas of education, housing, mentorship, healthcare, environment and the arts.

From its support of the TADpole Playground on Boston Common, providing tickets to sporting events to local nonprofits, building capacity through technical assistance to hundreds of nonprofit organizations, and increasing housing for those most in need through Home Funders, the foundation is dedicated to expanding opportunities for families in Massachusetts and beyond.

This year will mark the seventh anniversary of Free Fun Fridays, a program created to increase access to the arts throughout the Commonwealth by sponsoring free admission to museums and cultural institutions during the summer months. Since its inception, nearly 800,000 people have participated, visiting more than 70 venues across the state including the Museum of Fine Arts, Plimoth Plantation, Peabody Essex Museum, the EcoTarium and the Norman Rockwell Museum. As part of the initiative, the Highland Street Foundation has created an extensive marketing approach, reaching out to hundreds of youth organizations, housing developments, public schools and libraries, health centers, senior and veteran facilities to ensure that individuals and families who may not have the resources to visit these cultural treasures enjoy the opportunity to do so through Free Fun Fridays.In addition to Free Fun Fridays, Highland Street partners with those who share its commitment to promoting the diverse arts and cultural sector that is such a vital component to the fabric of our Commonwealth by supporting significant events including First Night Boston and newer initiatives such as the Citi Performing Arts Centers ArtWeek, which showcases some of the most unique and creative art experiences in Greater Boston.

L E A D E R S H I PMAYOR MARTIN J. WALSH

MAYOR MARTIN J. WALSH, AN ACCOMPLISHED ADVOCATE FOR WORKING PEOPLE AND A PROUD PRODUCT OF THE CITY OF BOSTON, WAS SWORN IN AS THE CITYS 54TH MAYOR ON JANUARY 6, 2014. With a commitment to opportunity, community, and equality for every resident and neighborhood, Mayor Walsh hit the ground running to move Boston forward.

After a year of historic firsts in public safety, economic growth, housing access, school reform, and government transparency, Mayor Walsh has set out his vision for Boston as a thriving, healthy, and innovative global leader of the 21st century.Mayor Walsh believes the arts are crucial to both expressing and achieving this vision. In his first year in office, Mayor Walsh doubled community arts funding, by committing to match the Massachusetts Cultural Councils annual grant to the Boston Cultural Council; took steps to improve the artist permitting process; revived the poet laureate program, naming Danielle Legros Georges Bostons Poet Laureate; and appointed Julie Burros the Citys first Chief of Arts and Culture in more than

two decades, elevating the conversation about the arts to the highest level of City government. Over the next year and a half the Chief of Arts and Culture will guide a cultural planning process for the city, which will build a longterm strategy for enriching and strengthening civic life through the arts. Mayor Walsh is committed to making Boston the municipal arts leader of the 21st century.Prior to serving as Mayor, Walsh was a member of the Massachusetts House of representatives, representing the 13th Suffolk district from 1997 until 2013. Mayor Walsh is a lifelong resident of Dorchester and a graduate of Boston College. He shares his life with his longtime partner, Lorrie Higgins, and her daughter, Lauren.

ARTSBOSTON IS A CHAMPION FOR GREATER BOSTONS ARTS AND CULTURAL COMMUNITY, and a collaborative partner for public, private, and nonprofit leaders who seek to engage more deeply with the sector.

We believe active participation with our regions artists, organizations and rich cultural heritage encourage us all to be more engaged citizens, and our programs enhance the sectors capacity to transform lives, build stronger communities, and strengthen the local economy. With a membership of over 170 arts organizations of all disciplines and sizes, we are celebrating our 40th Anniversary in 2015.The ArtsBoston Audience Initiative is the flagship of ArtsBostons growing work in the arena of cultural data and

L E A D E R S H I PARTSBOSTON

leverages a database of 1.5 million arts-going households. Its purpose is two-fold. It provides sector-wide context of audience participation regionally and it also helps arts organizations unlock the power of data to provide strategic direction, benchmarks of best practices, and measurable results for marketing and development efforts. The Boston Globe highlighted the Audience Initiative in its 2014 Game Changers issue celebrating the people and things making Massachusetts a national leader in innovation.

The first Arts Factor cultural impact report, released in June 2014, has quickly become a powerful resource for arts advocates and policymakers, and was listed as one of our regions 20 best new big ideas by The Boston Globe. It provides easy-to-share data and compelling case studies detailing the cross-cutting role the arts play in our regional identity, economic vitality, reputation for innovation, and community transformations. In addition, ArtsBoston is a powerful gateway for millions of arts-goers each year. ArtsBoston.org is the regions most comprehensive arts calendar visited by half a million people annually, and

amplified through engaging digital content and social media platforms. ArtsBostons Booths in Faneuil Hall Marketplace and Copley Square welcome over 20 million visitors every year to the City of Boston. BosTix discount ticketing, both online and in-person, provides affordable access to performing arts events to over 75,000 people each year. And ArtsBostons collaborative promotions like Mayors Holiday, presented in partnership with the City of Boston and the Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau, shine a bright spotlight on our vibrant cultural scene.

GREG COOK

ANDREA SHEA

ED SEIGEL

M E D I AWBUR

Along with its original content, The ARTery aggregates the best arts reporting from 90.9 WBUR-FM and from NPR. The coverage categories range from Sights, Sounds and Screens to Stages, Words and Experiences. While The ARTerys primary focus is on the region, its coverage ranges across the nation.

The ARTery is powered by editor and critic-at-large Ed Siegel, along with reporter and critic Greg Cook, with support from an award-winning roster of arts journalists from the Greater Boston area. Notable contributors include WBUR Arts Reporter Andrea Shea, Pulitzer Prize winner Lloyd Schwartz, George Jean Nathan Award winner Carolyn Clay, Renee Graham and Amelia Mason, among others.

On your radio, laptop, phone or tablet, WBUR is a leading source of news, information, analysis and sophisticated entertainment. Founded in 1950, WBUR

LAUNCHED IN 2013, THE ARTERY IS THE REGIONS ONLINE ARTS DESTINATION PRESENTED BY WBUR, BOSTONS NPR NEWS STATION. The ARTery showcases WBURs commitment to covering the richness of New Englands arts offerings with a mixture of reviews, news and features.

began broadcasting NPR programming in 1970, offering NPRs Morning Edition and All Things Considered along with local news programming and establishing its iconic identity as a news and information station.

One of the nations most successful public radio stations today, WBUR produces national programs for NPR including On Point, Here & Now, Only A Game and Car Talk, along with WBURs regional daily newsmagazine Radio Boston, reaching millions of listeners here and on NPR stations across the United States and online at wbur.org.

Located on Commonwealth Avenue at Boston University, WBUR has the largest radio newsroom in New England, dedicated to covering topics that matter in Boston, in the state, and across the nation. Follow WBUR online at www.wbur.org and on Facebook and Twitter @WBUR, and explore The ARTery at www.artery.wbur.org and @WBURartery.

M E D I AWBGY

Through its local program production, education outreach and engagement of residents within diverse communities, WGBY positively impacts people of all demographics.Our mission is to be a community-supported PBS member station, connects the people of our region. We educate,

entertain, enrich lives and improve communities. Our vision is that we will use the unique power of storytelling to communicate ideas through images, sounds and words. WGBY will be a valued partner with individuals and organizations that share our values working together toward the common goal of building a stronger community

WGBY CONNECTS THE PEOPLE OF WESTERN NEW ENGLAND WITH IDEAS, EVENTS AND EACH OTHER TO FULFILL THEIR ASPIRATIONS ENRICH THEIR LIVES AND IMPROVE THEIR COMMUNITIES. WGBY works to inform and engage members of the local community through its work on air, online in the community.

through learning and understanding. WGBY will be recognized locally and nationally for creating compelling content that advances our mission.WGBY was founded in 1971 after a group of business leaders in Springfield Massachusetts convinced the WGBH Educational Foundation in Boston that western New England needed and deserved a complementary, but distinct public television station. Those leaders committed to raising the financial resources needed to outfit the local station and then sustain it. Since that time WGBY has served an audience of almost 1 million people from Brattleboro Vermont, south to North Haven Connecticut, and all of western Massachusetts from Sturbridge in the east to the Berkshires at the New York border.WGBY is unique in public broadcasting, while licensed to the WGBH Educational Foundation by the FCC and operates under the Foundations IRS status, WGBY has been programmed and managed separately since 1971. WGBY holds its own membership in the Public Broadcasting Service. WGBYs unique relationship is cited specifically in the PBS by-laws and in funding formulae by The Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Since its inception, WGBY has won numerous awards for its programming, service to the community and its fundraising. The station has an annual budget of $4.0 million.

ECT has been infusing arts and science content with the Hitchcock Center for the

Environment since 1995.

S T E M TO S T E A MENCHANTED CIRCLE THEATER

They work in public schools, pre-schools, university classrooms, professional theaters, community centers, and with health and human service agencies with people of all ages and abilities. ECT works closely with district leaders in Holyoke, Springfield, and Amherst, and collaborates with over 35 community partners. They have been called the antidote to the dropout rate. ECTs arts integration programs integrate theater arts - theater, dance, music, visual, media and literary arts with academic and social curricula to improve academic achievement and support the development of social and emotional health.

Enchanted Circle Theater has earned area and national acclaim, performing in venues including the Smithsonian Institution, the John F. Kennedy Library, and at the Piccolo Spoleto Festival in Charleston, SC. In 2013, ECT received the New England Public Radio Arts & Humanities Award for Outstanding Organization. In 2011, ECT received the

Arts/Learning award for Outstanding Collaborative in Theatre. Priscilla Kane Hellweg, Executive Artistic Director of ECT, was named Outstanding Artist-in-Residence by the Massachusetts Alliance for Arts Education. In 2014, Priscilla received a Civic Pride Award from the City of Holyoke, and a Milestone Award from the National Guild for Community Arts Education for her contributions to the field.

ECT has been infusing arts and science content in partnership with the Hitchcock Center for the Environment since 1995. Content areas include: Electricity, Magnets, Weather, Engineering Design, Storm Drain Art and Advocacy, and Animal Adaptations. Their most recent collaboration, WORKING WITH WATER: From STEM to STEAM, is a training program for teachers at ECTs Institute for Arts Integration. The program focuses on the interaction between humans and water explores the water cycle, design, and technology through the arts.

FOUNDED IN 1976, ENCHANTED CIRCLE THEATER (ECT) IS A NON-PROFIT, EDUCATIONAL THEATER COMPANY, WHICH ENGAGES, ENHANCES, AND INSPIRES LEARNING THROUGH THE ARTS. Considered the regional leader in arts integration, ECT uses theater arts as a dynamic teaching tool on the stage, in the classroom, and in the community.

S T E M TO S T E A MHITCHCOCK CENTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT

THE HITCHCOCK CENTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, LOCATED IN AMHERST, MASSACHUSETTS, WORKS TO INSPIRE PEOPLE TO LEARN ABOUT OUR NATURAL WORLD THROUGH INNOVATIVE, HANDS-ON ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS. We help people explore the interconnections between human health and healthy ecosystems, reinforcing innate bonds with nature, and looking to natural systems as models and measures to improve our quality of life.

Our exceptional educators stay at the forefront of environmental and science education. They work at our Center, and across the wider Connecticut River Valley, to present activities in classrooms and communities. They also develop innovative, multi-disciplinary curricula to address the ever more urgent issues facing our environment.

Patty ODonnell and Ted Watt, two of our educators, have been actively involved in STEM to STEAM teaching and learning in our communities. Ted and Patty have worked closely with teaching artists from the Enchanted Circle since 1995. Together we have developed and presented classroom lessons that closely integrate hands-on science instruction with both visual and performing arts activities. Here are some examples of our activities: After hands-on explorations around the room with magnets to learn which materials are attracted to magnets, students used their bodies to role-play bar magnets and associated magnetic fields, physicalizing their understanding of these concepts. Students worked in groups with batteries, wires, and bulbs to assemble complete circuits; then they acted out complete circuits and passed aluminum foil electrons around their completed circuit. After learning about watersheds and human impacts on rivers, students designed storm drain art to communicate concern for local rivers. Student artwork was entered into a juried art exhibition and six were chosen to be painted on the street over local storm drains on location in Holyoke. Students learned the steps of the engineering design process and then worked in teams to design their own best model backpacks, diagramming and labeling their inventions complete with imagined technology, security, storage, and convenience devices.

Our teaching and values are centered on six fundamental aspects of environmental education:

Teaching principles of ecology

Connecting people to Place

Learning to consider situations from a variety of perspectives

Promoting resilient communities

Demonstrating sustainability in human systems

Educating for active citizenship

S T E M TO S T E A MCAMBRIDGE SCIENCE FESTIVAL

The Museum features ongoing and changing exhibitions, currently with an emphasis on robotics, photography and holography, kinetic sculpture, MIT student work, and current MIT research. The Museum produces and presents monthly STEAM programs that target middle to high school students and adults; school vacation week programs; and the annual Cambridge Science Festival in April.

The Festival, the first of its kind in the United States, is a celebration showcasing the leading edge in science, technology, engineering, art, and/or math in our region. A multifaceted, multicultural event, the Cambridge Science Festival makes science accessible, interactive and fun,

THE MIT MUSEUMS MISSION IS TO ENGAGE THE WIDER COMMUNITY with MITs science, technology and other areas of scholarship in ways that will best serve the nation and the world in the 21st century.

highlighting the impact of STEAM in all our lives. The Festival offers a wide range of STEAM-related activities lectures, debates, exhibitions, concerts, plays, workshops, etc. over 10 days in a variety of locations. Modeled on art, music, and movie festivals, the Cambridge Science Festival makes STEAM part of the wider culture by illuminating the richness of scientific inquiry and the excitement of discovery. The Festivals collaborators The MIT Museum, Harvard University, the City of Cambridge, Cambridge Public Schools, Cambridge Public Library, and the Museum of Science reach out to K-12 students, the general public, and the science community, to excite and ignite curiosity.

A CC E S STHE BOSTON CONSERVATORY

Known for its multi-disciplinary environment and deep community engagement, The Boston Conservatory is internationally recognized as an innovative leader among conservatory programs, focused on elevating and celebrating every aspect of the performing arts, and presenting more than 600 performances each year. The institution has established itself as an important voice in the movement to make all forms of performing arts a more visible and valued dimension of communities here and abroad. For more information, visit bostonconservatory.edu.

FOUNDED IN 1867, THE BOSTON CONSERVATORY IS AN INDEPENDENT PRIVATE COLLEGE with fully accredited graduate and undergraduate programs in music, dance and theater, training exceptional young performing artists for careers that enrich and transform the human experience.

A CC E S SWORCESTER ART MUSEUM

FOUNDED IN 1898, THE WORCESTER ART MUSEUM SERVES WORCESTER AND THE BROADER REGION, promoting art and art education...for the benefit of all.

The Museums encyclopedic collections chronicle the extraordinary history of human creativity through fifty-one centuries, representing most of the worlds major civilizations with distinguished examples. The 38,000 piece collection includes paintings, sculpture, arms, armor, decorative arts, photography, prints, drawings, and new media. Historically strongest in European Renaissance paintings, WAMs recent acquisitions and donations, including Veroneses Venus Disarming Cupid and the integration of the collection from the Higgins Armory Museum, have provided a springboard for diversifying and expanding exhibitions, activities, and programs to reach and engage new audiences. Further symbolized by the opening of the Salisbury Street doors in 2012 and the reconfiguring of the main entrance with universal access features (2015), the Museum continues toward its goal of accessibility for all visitors.

Building on past successes, the Museums Vision 2020 expands its role as a focal institution in the region, providing cohesion to an ever-changing social fabric. As a highly motivated team, the Museums staff from senior leadership

to volunteers -- work to further connect with our communities and build on the synergy with our partner institutions, including the twelve colleges and universities in Worcester.

Capitalizing on its medium size, its encyclopedic collection and a robust exhibition schedule, the Museum emphasizes its unique narrative a narrative of connections: connecting art with individual experiences, joy and discovery, as well as connecting people, cultures, and histories with the here and now of a globalizing world. This narrative is supported by the visitor-focused culture, a highly welcoming environment and an all-pervading openness to experimentation and creative thinking.

In 2014 WAM completed the game-changing acquisition of the Higgins Armory Collection, and began integrating those extraordinary objects with the Museums legacy collections. This integration keeps the Higgins spirit sustainably alive in Worcester, makes the Museum an even more family-friendly and visitor-focused institution, and in doing so, provides further catalyst for the revitalization of the city of Worcester.

Each Commonwealth Award winner receives a medal designed and created by Taunton, Massachusetts-based Reed & Barton.For more than 187 years, Reed & Barton has enjoyed a reputation as one of the countrys foremost marketers of fine giftware and tableware. Reed & Barton products are renowned for design excellence and craftsmanship of the highest quality.

THE COMMONWEALTH AWARD

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Cindy Cuba Clements, NewtonRanny Cooper, RichmondWalter Sandy Fraze, Jr., Fall RiverMichael S. Greco, WellesleyBarbara W. Grossman, Newton, Vice ChairKevin Howard, ChathamJoyce Kressler, WorcesterIra S. Lapidus, Williamstown, ChairPatricia Welbourn Lorsch, CambridgeRosemary Noon, LowellJeanne Pinado, BostonBarbara Schaffer Bacon, BelchertownMalcolm L. Sherman, WellesleyTroy Siebels, MarlboroughSam Slater, BostonKatherine Kay SloanZakiya Thomas, BostonRosamond B. Vaule, BrooklineLisa Wong, MD, Newton

Anita Walker, Executive DirectorDavid Slatery, Deputy DirectorGreg Liakos, Communications DirectorJen Lawless, Operations DirectorDawn Heinen, Technology Project ManagerAnn Petruccelli, Communications OfficerBridget Alexander, Graphic Designer

Joint Committee on Tourism, Arts, & Cultural DevelopmentHandel and Haydn SocietyGianna HitsosCourtney StewartNo SochaMercure Photography Reed & Barton

MASSACHUSETTS CULTURAL COUNCIL

BOARD MEMBERS

COMMONWEALTH AWARDS STAFF

SPECIAL THANKS

Massachusetts Cultural Council10 St. James Avenue, 3rd Floor

Boston, MA 02116

www.massculturalcouncil.org