The news was announced March 10 as part of an $82 million distribution to fund local arts projects and partnerships.
“As the community foundation of the City of Cambridge, we are delighted to receive this funding,” said Geeta Pradhan, president and CEO of the Foundation. “The goal of our project is to ensure that Central Square can continue to be both a vibrant cultural destination and a place where every part of Cambridge comes together. This grant creates a wonderful opportunity for us to partner with neighborhoods, businesses and the cultural community.”
The Cambridge project, titled Cambridge Connects, will bring together artists and community leaders to tell stories that describe what kind of community local residents want Cambridge to be. The focus is on five neighborhoods including the Port, Cambridgeport, Riverside and Mid-Cambridge, as well as the Central Square District. It will use a variety of forms storytellers find compelling to place local residents in a dynamic and changing city.
The project is designed to inform the Cambridge Community Foundation’s future work and the city’s strategic planning process.
The National Endowment for the Arts is an independent federal agency created in 1965 to increase opportunities for people to take part in the arts. It works through partnerships with state arts agencies, local leaders, other federal agencies and the philanthropic sector. It seeks to support arts learning and also to affirm and celebrate the country’s diverse cultural heritage.
“The arts are all around us, enhancing our lives in ways both subtle and obvious, expected and unexpected,” said NEA Chairman Chu. “Supporting projects like the one from Cambridge Community Foundation offers more opportunities to engage in the arts every day.”
