Lynn Museum gets $283G state grant

LYNN-The Lynn Museum is slated to receive a major financial shot in the arm today when state officials award a $283,000 grant to the downtown cultural institution.The funds will be used to renovate the museum, which also serves as headquarters for the Lynn Historical Society.The museum, located at 590 Washington St. at the corner of Union Street, is less than a block from the city’s central bus and commuter rail transportation terminal. It’s within view of North Shore Community College, abuts the LynnArts galleries and arts center, and is part of the downtown Arts & Cultural District.These and other factors played a key role in obtaining such significant funding.Rep. Steve Walsh, a Lynn Democrat and former executive director of LynnArts, said the money will be used to improve the 40,000 square foot grounds and building that comprise the Lynn Museum.The grant stems from a ground-breaking Cultural Facilities Fund, jointly administered by MassDevelopment and the Massachusetts Cultural Council. The purpose of the fund is to support non-profit cultural organizations in the state with building projects that increase tourism, create new jobs, leverage private funding and expand arts and cultural activities in communities. The fund supports 62 projects statewide, totaling $16.7 million.State leaders, including Walsh, Ken Goode from MassDevelopment, Massachusetts Cultural Council Executive Director Anita Walker, and Daniel Hunter, executive director of Massachusetts Advocates for the Arts, Sciences and Humanities, are scheduled to gather at the museum at 7 p.m. to formally award the grant.