Framingham Cultural Council Awards $50.5k in 2026 Grants
FRAMINGHAM, MA - The City of Framingham is pleased to announce, on behalf of the Framingham Cultural Council (FCC), the award of 71 grants totaling $50,500 to support cultural programs, educational initiatives, and community arts activities taking place in Framingham during 2026.
The grants support a wide range of programming in the arts, humanities, and sciences, including concerts, theater productions, festivals, school field trips, cultural heritage events, literary programs, and multidisciplinary educational experiences for residents of all ages. Nearly half of the funded programs include educational components for children and youth.
The following organizations, schools, artists, and community groups received funding:
| Grantee | Program | Grant Amount |
|---|---|---|
| A Common Thread Theatre Company, Inc. | Fun Home | $1,000 |
| A Common Thread Theatre Company, Inc. | Hadestown: Teen Edition | $1,000 |
| Benton, Zachary | Music of the Beach Boys | $340 |
| Benton, Zachary | Howlin' Halloween Concert | $340 |
| Bettagere Nagendra Prasad, Pranav Swaroop | SARANG - Colors of South Asian Music | $500 |
| Boston Arabic Music Ensemble | Mourouj: Boston Arabic Music Ensemble in Concert | $1,000 |
| Boston Coalition for Autism, Inc. | Neurodiversity is Culture | $500 |
| Boston Opera & Zarzuela Corp. | Zarzuela y Olé! - Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month in Framingham | $1,000 |
| Boys and Girls Clubs of MetroWest, Inc. | Incorporating STEAM Experiences into Summer Learning | $1,000 |
| Cameron Middle School | McAuliffe Center Mars Simulation | $500 |
| Cameron Middle School | Field Trip Visit | $500 |
| Charlotte A. Dunning Elementary School | Field Trip to Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum | $500 |
| Charlotte Dunning Elementary Parent Teacher Organization | Dunning Variety Show | $500 |
| Chinese Family Network Inc (CFN) | Spring Harmony: Performances and Crafts | $1,000 |
| Christa McAuliffe Branch Library | 2026 Summer Reading: Plant a Seed, Read | $1,000 |
| Christa McAuliffe Center for Integrated Science Learning at Framingham State University | Challenger Series 2025–2026 | $1,000 |
| City of Framingham | Framingham 325th - Black History, Women's History & Hispanic History | $1,000 |
| City of Framingham | Framingham FEST | $1,000 |
| City of Framingham Parks & Recreation Department | Framingham Summer Concert Series | $1,000 |
| Costarelli, Eve | Mindful Mobility for All: An Adaptive Arts & Movement Program for Youth | $1,000 |
| De Musis, Rejane | McCarty Music | $1,000 |
| Druyan, Ron | Tiny Tutti | $675 |
| Edwards Church Incorporated (United Church of Christ) | Artist in Residence: Building Community through Art and Storytelling | $1,000 |
| Ethnic Arts Center of Somerville, Inc. | Circles of Love: ME AND MY PALS Puppetry Esteem & Friendship Project | $750 |
| Framingham Centre Common Cultural District | Live Music on the Centre Common at Farmers Market | $1,000 |
| Framingham Garden Club, Inc. | Building Bridges through Connections | $378 |
| Framingham High School | Beyond FHS: Your Story in Photographs | $600 |
| Framingham High School | The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee | $800 |
| Framingham History Center, Inc. | The Art of History in Framingham | $1,000 |
| Framingham Public Access Corporation | Access Film Festival | $1,000 |
| Framingham Public Library | Bachata by the Bookmobile | $500 |
| Framingham Public Library | Summer Reading: Plant a Seed, Read | $1,000 |
| Framingham Public Library | FPL Jazz: 2026 Summer Concert Series | $1,000 |
| Framingham Public Library | Dark Summer Book Festival Guests of Honor | $1,000 |
| Framingham Public Schools | Harmony Grove goes to see the Boston Symphony Orchestra | $500 |
| Framingham State University | Adventures in Lifelong Learning | $500 |
| Framingham Townwide PTO Council | Around the World Fair | $500 |
| Framingham Townwide PTO Council | Matilda Jr. | $500 |
| Framingham Townwide PTO Council | Music Program | $500 |
| Herzog, Jenny | Music Theory, Songwriting, Performance at MCI-Framingham | $1,000 |
| Hoops and Homework, Inc. | Music at Hoops | $1,000 |
| Jewish Family Service of MetroWest, Inc. | Metrowest Memory Cafe | $500 |
| Joseph P. Keefe Regional Technical High School | You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown | $600 |
| Keezing, Jonathan A. | Classic Songs | $340 |
| List, Melina | Framingham Disability Cultural Series | $700 |
| Lora, Fanny | Mano a Mano: Arias in Dialogue | $1,000 |
| MUSIC Dance.edu | Hip Hop SQUARE Dance for Seniors! and Chair Dance | $500 |
| MUSIC Dance.edu | I Am Autistic, I Am Fantastic – The Musical | $340 |
| MacInnes, Rebecca | Soloveychicks Concert of Yiddish Song | $375 |
| Martin, Jess | Echoes of Nature | $600 |
| Massachusetts Educational Theater Guild, Inc. | The Massachusetts High School Drama Festival | $500 |
| MetroWest Tourism and Visitors Bureau, Inc. | World Cup Fan Zone | $1,000 |
| Nocera, Josef | The GemsTones 50s Dance Party | $1,000 |
| Performing Arts Center of MetroWest, Inc. | PAC Winter and Spring Recitals | $1,000 |
| Pinefield Garden Club | Incorporating Natives in Your Garden | $340 |
| Polatin, David | Music from Memphis | $340 |
| Potter Road Elementary School | Crocodile River Music at Potter Road | $550 |
| ProGente Connections | ProGente Library Launch | $500 |
| Sordillo, Willie | Harmony Grove: A Legacy of Justice and Equality in Framingham | $600 |
| South Middlesex Opportunity Council, Inc. | Empty Bowls, 2026 | $1,000 |
| Stoney, Kimberly | Printmaking with a Gelatin Plate | $317 |
| Swanson, Kris | Songs & Stories Music Concert | $225 |
| Tasty Harvests | Roots & Recipes: Community Pop-Up Garden & Story Series | $1,000 |
| The Heritage Chorale, Inc. | Winter Pops and Spring Concerts | $600 |
| The Raymond J. Callahan Center | Back to School…Without the Homework | $750 |
| The Raymond J. Callahan Center | Callahan Music Series | $1,000 |
| The Spectacle Collective, Inc. | Common Chords: The New Generation of Chilean Classical Music | $600 |
| Utaegbulam, Rick | JuneteenthFest 2026 | $1,000 |
| Voices of MetroWest, Inc. | Evolution of Broadway | $500 |
| Walsh Middle School | Grade 8 Field Trip MFA | $500 |
| Waterman, Jon | Live Music Making History Live | $340 |
The Framingham Cultural Council is part of a statewide network of 329 Local Cultural Councils (LCCs) serving all 351 cities and towns in Massachusetts. The LCC Program is the nation’s largest grassroots cultural funding network, supporting thousands of community-based projects each year.
Funding for these grants is provided through an annual state appropriation to the Mass Cultural Council (MCC), which allocates funds to local councils. Statewide, more than $5 million will be distributed by Local Cultural Councils in 2026.
The Framingham Cultural Council consists of 14 volunteers appointed by the Mayor who review applications and make funding decisions based on Mass Cultural Council guidelines and local cultural priorities. The Council conducts a community survey every other year to help guide funding priorities.
2025–2026 Framingham Cultural Council Members: Kerry Najarian (Chair), Maurico Perea (Co-Chair), Eric Volin (Secretary), Joel Winett (Treasurer), Tim Alexander (Co-Treasurer), Damon Araujo, Noelle Fournier, Katerina Koliovska-Tobaygo, Lois Levick, Katie Listewnik, Ash Nemiccolo, Julie Sullivan Green, Steve Straight, Alexandra White.
The Framingham Cultural Council will seek applications again in fall 2026, with a deadline of October 16, 2026. For guidelines and information, contact 508-532-5440 or FraminghamCultural@gmail.com. Applications and details about the Local Cultural Council Program are available at www.massculturalcouncil.org.
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