Mass. Cultural Council Honors Mayor Timothy Murray

For Immediate Release - March 9, 2006
Contact: Greg Liakos, Communications Director, 617-727-3668 x343, greg.liakos@art.state.ma.us
Erin Haran, Communications Coordinator, 617-727-3668 x268, erin.haran@art.state.ma.us
Erin Williams, Cultural Development Officer, 508 799-1523, williamse@ci.worcester.ma.us

(Boston) State arts leaders honored Worcester Mayor Timothy Murray, with a Local Leadership Award for his commitment to promoting arts and culture in Worcester.

The Leadership Circle Awards recognize state and local leaders who have made significant contributions in promoting the arts, sciences, and humanities in Massachusetts. The awards program also recognizes volunteers who have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to the ideals of MCC’s Local Cultural Council program; the leading community-based cultural funding program in the nation.

The Leadership Circle Awards are presented by the MCC and the Massachusetts Advocates for the Arts, Sciences, and Humanities (MAASH).

Senator Harriette Chandler (D-Worcester) presented the award to Mayor Murray.

Leadership Circle Awards were given to individuals in the following categories:

Statewide Leadership

For a legislator who has demonstrated leadership in advocating for arts and culture statewide

Senator Therese Murray of Plymouth &
Representative Robert A. DeLeo of Winthrop

Local Leadership

For a municipal official who has demonstrated support of and interest in arts and culture at the local level

Mayor Timothy P. Murray of Worcester

Mayor Murray has engaged the city’s diverse social, cultural, and academic communities and forged new partnerships to enhance the spirit of renewal. Under his leadership, the Worcester Cultural Coalition is seeking new opportunities to increase visitation at Worcester’s many cultural attractions, and draw increased tourism to the city. The Worcester Cultural Commission, which receives funding from the MCC, provided

$64,657 in grants to local cultural institutions, artists, and other community programs in the arts, sciences and humanities this year.

Outstanding Volunteer

For a Local Cultural Council volunteer who has demonstrated a commitment to the ideals of the Local Cultural Council program as evidenced by the high quality of involvement in a number of council activities.

Lillian Carmel of Chicopee
Daniel Cooney of Lakeville
Marsha Hanby of Plymouth
Glenn Shalan of North Adams

The awards were presented during a ceremony at the State House on Wednesday, March 8. The event was attended by more than 200 Local Cultural Council members from across the Commonwealth. The volunteers will gather to recognize excellence, honor community service, and draw attention to the importance of public support for the arts, humanities, and sciences. Keith Lockhart, Conductor of the Boston Pops, delivered the keynote address.

The MCC's Local Cultural Council Program is the largest volunteer-run, grassroots cultural funding program in the nation, supporting thousands of community-based projects in the arts, humanities, and sciences annually. Volunteers are appointed by their municipalities to manage the yearly allocations each community receives from the MCC. The volunteers not only provide support for local arts initiatives but also serve as a catalyst for cultural activity in their communities and advocate for the value that cultural programming brings to their hometowns.

The second largest program run by the MCC, the LCC Program consists of a network of 329 local and regional councils, managed by 2,500 volunteers. This year, LCCs reviewed nearly 9,000 grant applications and awarded more than $2 million in grants to more than 4,000 of these projects. Nearly 50% of the funded projects were in support of educational activities in the arts, humanities, and sciences.

About the Massachusetts Cultural Council

The Massachusetts Cultural Council promotes excellence, access, education and diversity in the arts, humanities and interpretive sciences, in order to improve the quality of life for all Massachusetts residents and contribute to the economic vitality of our communities.

MCC is a state agency committed to building a central place for arts and culture in the everyday lives of communities across the Commonwealth. It pursues this mission through a combination of grants, services, and advocacy for cultural organizations, schools, communities, and artists. MCC receives an annual appropriation from the state Legislature and funds from the National Endowment for the Arts and other sources.