Cultural Council
Additional Pages
Town Hall, 51 Bridge Street, Shelburne Falls, MA 01370 Contact: ShelburneLCC@gmail.com Visit us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShelburneCulturalCouncil/
Meeting Schedule: See Calendar
No meetings currently scheduled.
Members
8 of 9 seats. 3 years each seat.
- Beth Baron. 2026.
- Debb Makara. 2026.
- Jacqui Goodman. 2026.
- Linn Bower. 2027.
- Deb Verhoff. 2028.
- Leslie Taylor. 2028.
- Owen Bragdon, Co-Chair. 2025.
- Diane Johnson, Member. June, 2027.
- VACANT
Join the Shelburne Cultural Council!
If you have a passion for local arts and culture, or just want to work to continue to make Shelburne a great place to live, consider joining our Council. Members of the Shelburne Cultural Council are volunteers appointed by the Shelburne Selectboard. As MCC's application process is now conducted entirely online, proficiency with computers and the internet is essential and experience with finance a plus. Email us at ShelburneLCC@gmail.com or contact Shelburne Town Administrator, Terry Narkewicz.
Who We Are
Established in 1982, the statewide Local Cultural Council funding program is one of many programs initiated and supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC), which annually receives its funding from the State Legislature and the National Endowment for the Arts. The Shelburne Cultural Council (SCC) is one of 329 councils serving all 351 Massachusetts cities and towns. Our local board members are part of approximately 2,400 LCC appointed volunteers statewide.
What We Do
Each local cultural council receives an annual allocation from the MCC based on its town or city’s population. SCC holds public meetings as needed throughout the year. Our busiest period is from September to January.
Our state allocation varies; last year we recieved $5700 and awarded 23 grants. Grant amounts typically range between $200 to $400; as such it is advised that applicants apply to all relevant LCCs for funding if their budget exceeds this range. Grants are provided up front via our Direct Funding method; no longer will an applicant have to cover their expenses and wait to be reimbursed after their program is over. Members are available to answer questions throughout the year.
Visit us on Facebook!
https://www.facebook.com/Shelburne-Cultural-Council-106693728415813
Mission
The mission of the Shelburne Cultural Council is to help fund a broad range of cultural events that support and enrich the community life of Shelburne Falls and our neighboring hilltowns. We encourage local cultural educators and artists to develop and share their talents through diverse programs and events that appeal to residents of all ages.?
Contact
shelburnelcc@gmail.com
413-625-0300
Address
51 Bridge Street
Shelburne, MA 01370-1181
Connect on Social
Facebook
Application Information
FY26 Allocation
$5,700
FY26 Local Priorities
The SCC prioritizes projects and programs that:
Provide meaningful cultural, artistic, and humanities-based experiences for Shelburne residents.
Are innovative and participatory in nature.
Elevate the voices and experiences of historically marginalized groups in our area, ensuring inclusivity and representation.
This year’s focus:
To better serve our community, the SCC aims to strengthen its mission by supporting cross sector projects that create collaboration and bridge connections between different sectors of the community. For example, local artists with local businesses, seniors and young artists, a multi-disciplinary project that brings together musicians, artists and poets, or projects that explore cultural traditions and history.
We will continue to strive to increase our community impact, acknowledging that financial resources and government priorities are shifting. This year we are encouraging new applications and awarding of previous years is not a guarantee for funding.
Regional Collaboration:
We encourage applicants whose programs will benefit multiple communities to apply to more than one Local Cultural Council (LCC). Preference is given to applicants who apply to all councils serving their target audience. For example, a project hosted at a local school should apply to all LCCs serving the students attending that school. Note that the Buckland Cultural Council and the Shelburne Cultural Council are separate entities, though both fund programs in the area known as Shelburne Falls.
FY26 Local Guidelines
Council Guidelines
Application deadline: The statewide application deadline is October 16, 2025.
Late applications cannot be accepted. Please take the time to read MCCs overview and guidelines to help you with this process:
- https://massculturalcouncil.org/communities/local-cultural-council-program/
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MCC Application help desk: 617-858-2721
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ATTENTION: All grants for 2026 will be Direct Funded. Upon signing an Agreement Form and submitting a W-9, recipients, can now expect to receive funds. Recipients will complete a Final Report, and send it, along with relevant expenditure receipts, to us within two weeks of a project's completion. The Council feels this important change from Reimbursement enhances LCC programming opportunities by imposing less financial hardship on potential grantees, provides a more equitable playing field for all artists and organizations. It also serves to streamline the process for grantees, town municipal officers and our Council treasurers.
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All applications must include a statement of support from the hosting organization and/or venue, as well as any collaborative partner.
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Include link to the applicant's website
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Applicants should not expect the SCC to fully fund projects. Each application should indicate a detailed budget identifying funding streams, including applications to other local cultural councils, which will also help to reach more local audiences.
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Submit application-related questions to ShelburneLCC@gmail.com well before the deadline of October 16th. We will promptly respond.
Massachusetts Cultural Council Web Link:
Previous meetings:
- Thu, Nov 13, 2025 at 06:00 PM -- Arms Library, 60 Bridge St, Shelburne
- Thu, Oct 9, 2025 at 06:00 PM -- Arms Library
- Thu, Aug 29, 2024 at 06:30 PM -- Zoom https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83778138939?pwd=bjQ0b0dmYmZMRzlKN3MvWTFsbTdnZz09
- Thu, Feb 1, 2024 at 06:00 PM -- https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83778138939?pwd=bjQ0b0dmYmZMRzlKN3MvWTFsbTdnZz09
- Mon, Jan 22, 2024 at 08:00 PM -- Zoom https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83778138939?pwd=bjQ0b0dmYmZMRzlKN3MvWTFsbTdnZz09
- Thu, Oct 26, 2023 at 06:30 PM -- Arms Library
- Thu, Aug 17, 2023 at 06:30 PM -- Picnic Area behind Arms Library
- Tue, Aug 30, 2022 at 06:30 PM -- Via Zoom
- Thu, Nov 12, 2020 at 07:00 PM -- Zoom meeting
- Thu, Oct 8, 2020 at 07:00 PM -- Local Cultural Council
- Show 19 More...