Mayor Mitchell announces city’s 'largest-ever' contribution to New Bedford artists
NEW BEDFORD — “By far — by far — the largest contribution to working artists in the city ever” was announced by Mayor Jon Mitchell at the Hatch Street Studios Friday: $1.2 million.
Mitchell said the money, which will come from the city’s American Rescue Plan Act funding, will be directed into two areas. The first is $700,000 for direct grants through the city’s existing Wicked Cool Places and Art is Everywhere grant programs.
The second is $500,000 for ARTnet, which is an artist recovery and training network. “It recognizes that artists are themselves small businesses and that those small businesses need support just like other small businesses.” Support comes in the form of business planning and teaching the basics of assembling a business plan.
Mitchell said, “We want our artists to make money, too. This stuff doesn’t just happen like manna from heaven. Artists have to think about how to pay the bills and eat at night, as well.”
He added, “We’re going to see a whole lot more art in New Bedford over the next two to three years.”
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Mitchell said city officials have spent much of the last year trying to figure out the best way to invest ARPA funding, totaling about $64.7 million. There have been public engagement sessions, focus groups, surveys, and public hearings, “so we have a good understanding of where the public would like these funds to go.”
Announcements in the past few weeks have detailed grants to housing, small business facades, and child care. Friday’s announcement comes under the heading of help to small businesses, he said.
“This is the way ARPA funds should be spent, to emerge from the pandemic, to energize small businesses, to energize public spaces, to strengthen neighborhoods. That’s what this will do,” Mitchell said.
The city’s path toward supporting its artists has been smoothed by three factors, he said.
New Bedford, unlike most cities, particularly ones of its size, has an arts and cultural plan in place. “We’ve got a plan in place with the benefit of a whole lot of public input, especially from our working artists.”
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New Bedford was also the first city or town in Massachusetts to establish an arts fund, derived from hotel tax receipts, he said. “We use it to invest in our arts community, and we do that every single year.”
And third, “We have great artists in the city. We have an abundance of talent and it behooves us to put our artists, our talent, in position to make things happen.”
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City Council President Ian Abreu also spoke during the announcement event Friday, telling the artists gathered, “You all have been putting us on the map for years through your creativity, whether its fine arts or theater, poetry, sculpting whatever. Right here at Hatch Street Studios.”
He added, “I think it’s time we support you and that’s what we’re doing here today, trying to support and engage and give you all the tools you need to be successful to rebound from the pandemic.”
Margo Saulnier, the New Bedford Economic Development Council’s creative strategist, said COVID posed an “existential threat” to arts and culture in the city.
But New Bedford artists didn’t flinch. “They went to work. Over the course of over two years artists, performers, musicians, designers, and creative problem solvers instead gave us more. More art in public spaces and private businesses. More music in the parks and on the beaches. More opportunity to create a connection we so dearly needed.”
She added “And when the events of the summer of 2020 forced the entire country to grapple with a racial reckoning, our artists and creative thinkers met that moment and helped us place it into the context necessary to promote understanding and healing.”
She said the audience only had to look around them to see the city’s artistic and cultural future. “This is not a dilapidated former mill or a musty warehouse. Instead, 88 and 90 Hatch Street is Hatch Street Studios, a center of creativity and commerce and community.” In fact, the weekend was dedicated to its open studios, she added, giving people an opportunity to meet the artists working there on a regular basis.
“We’re making a tremendous investment in the future,” she added.
Peter Lonelle Walker, event DJ, former recipient of Wicked Cool Places and Art is Everywhere grants, and leader of 3rd Eye Youth Empowerment, said, “It’s not just that art is everywhere. Art is life. It’s a part of every fabric, of every industry, and everything that we do.”
This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: Mayor Mitchell announces $1.2 million grant to New Bedford artists
