WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. (NEWS10) — The Clark Art Institute recently received a Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC) grant as part of its Cultural Sector Recovery Grants for Organizations program. The Clark was awarded $75,000 to help maintain programs and operations. It comes as part of the $8.7 billion provided to the Commonwealth by the American Rescue Plan Act.

“The Clark is fortunate to have received one of these grants, which will help to support our ongoing efforts to rebuild our visitation to pre-pandemic levels and, at the same time, to attract and engage new audiences,” said Olivier Meslay, Hardymon Director of the Clark. “Unrestricted funds such as these are particularly important here in the Berkshires, where cultural tourism is such an important part of our economy. We are very grateful to MCC.”

“This is the largest grant announcement the Massachusetts Cultural Council has ever made,” said Michael J. Bobbitt, Executive Director, of the Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC). “It is with great pleasure and pride that we celebrate more than $51 million in pandemic recovery monies being equitably distributed throughout the creative and cultural sector today. These awards will help propel the sector forward economically and chart the recipients’ paths towards growth.”

The Cultural Sector Recovery Grants for Organizations program offered unrestricted grants, ranging from $5,000 to $75,000 to Massachusetts cultural groups that suffered losses during the COVID-19 pandemic. MCC received 1,359 applications from cultural organizations, both nonprofit and for-profit, to the program, of which 1,218 were deemed eligible for funding. A total of $31,063,360 in pandemic assistance was awarded.