Greater Worcester Community Foundation's (GWCF) new grant program, Creative Intersections, announced the recipients of its first cycle of funding with grants totaling $54,762. The funding, which is part of the organization's Creative Worcester Initiative, supports collaborations that pair non-arts sector programming with arts organizations and/or individual creatives to address community needs in areas such as social justice, public health, mental health, housing, education, history, culture, identity, environment, or civic engagement.

“Arts have the power to heal and unify,” said Carolyn Stempler, GWCF's Interim President & CEO. “Our Creative Worcester Initiative recognizes how embedded arts can and should be in a healthy, thriving community. With continued support from the Barr Foundation, we are proud to help advance the innovative, responsive, and community-informed work of our grantee partners.”

In the first round of Creative Intersections funding, the following organizations and projects were awarded:

  • Music Worcester, Inc., Concert Truck for Community, $5,000.00
  • Creative Hub Worcester, Strengthening Families & Raising Resilience, $10,000.00
  • Indian Lake Community Association, Inc., Cultivating the Arts in an Urban Community Garden, $10,000.00
  • Día de los Muertos Event, “Recuerda la Memoria”: Latino storytelling on loss and hope during COVID. A mixed media art project., $10,000.00
  • Worcester Center for Crafts (WCC), Fiber Arts, from Sheep to Craft, $10,000.00
  • College of the Holy Cross, Telling Journeys: Visual Storytelling in Recovery, $9,762.00

“Art encompasses every aspect of our lives,” said Lindiana Semidei, Program Associate. “From the music we play to the poetry we write, art is a form of communication and has always been a central part of our human needs. Together with our Creative Worcester Initiative, we're not only stimulating projects, but we're also inspiring collective creativity in our community.”

The second application cycle is currently open and will close on November 1, 2021. Eligibility requirements and instructions on how to apply can be found here.

Creative Intersections is designed to advance the City of Worcester's Cultural Plan. It is also part of the Foundation's Creative Worcester Initiative, a multi-year partnership with the Barr Foundation that unites GWCF with four other Massachusetts community foundations and continues to infuse Worcester's creative sector with capital and knowledge resources.

More information or questions about GWCF's Creative Intersections grant program, contact Lindiana Semidei at lsemidei@greaterworcester.org.