Featherstone Center for the Arts was selected to participate in the Barr-Klarman Massachusetts Arts Initiative, announced recently on the Barr Foundation’s blog.
A partnership between two Boston-based foundations, Barr and the Klarman Family Foundation, the initiative is a $25 million, six-year investment in 29 arts and cultural organizations across Massachusetts. Participating organizations receive flexible, multi-year operating support grants, in addition to training and technical assistance from TDC, a nonprofit consulting and research firm. Featherstone’s engagement in the initiative begins with two grants totaling $225,000 from Barr and the Klarman Family Foundation over three years — the largest grant award in Featherstone’s 22-year history, demonstrating support of Featherstone’s work and potential.
“We are thrilled to be part of the Barr-Klarman Massachusetts Arts Initiative, and are eager to work with this significant cohort of arts organizations in the commonwealth,” Featherstone executive director Ann Smith said in a press release. “Our efforts to provide enriching creative experiences to engage and connect our community will be supported, strengthened, and expanded through this initiative and generous grant funding. This is an incredible opportunity to learn from and with others, and invest in our future. We are extremely grateful to the Barr Foundation and the Klarman Family Foundation for their support.”
Representing diversity across artistic disciplines, geographic reach, stages of organizational development, and budget sizes, some of the 29 organizations participating in the Barr-Klarman Massachusetts Arts Initiative are Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center, the Community Art Center in Cambridge, Cape Ann Museum in Gloucester, the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, and Provincetown Art Association and Museum.
According to the release, Featherstone Center for the Arts and each participant in the initiative will receive multi-year, unrestricted operating grants. Additionally, through a grant to TDC, a nationally recognized nonprofit consulting and research group, organizations will receive customized training and technical assistance, and be eligible for supplemental funds for targeted research, capacity building, and/or pilot projects. Last week, the foundations made the first set of three-year grants under the new initiative, marking the beginning of what is expected to be a six-year journey of learning, collaboration, and growth.
