LYNN — In an effort to enhance Lynn’s arts and culture scene downtown, the city will award 16 grants — $50,000 in total — to creative nonprofits looking to organize arts and culture festivals in the city.
The Lynnspire Creative Placemaking Grant Program, funded through MassDevelopment’s Transformative Development Initiative (TDI) Creative Cities, will award 10 $1,000 grants, four $5,000 grants, and two $10,000 grants to the chosen applicants on April 17.
Arts and Culture Planner LaCrecia Thomson said that the city is looking for placemaking projects that could bring the community together in underutilized spaces in the city.
“We’re specifically looking for placemaking initiatives, which essentially means creating community events or engagement activities using art and culture,” Thomson said. “This could be anything from creating a little festival or workshops or some sort of initiative where people are encouraged to get together, to gather, to have fun and celebrate, to learn,” said Thomson.
Creative Cities Project Manager Sunil Gulab listed underused parks and abandoned buildings as examples of potential venues for creative projects.
While the city has made efforts to expand its cultural festivities with gatherings such as the 2022 Summer Arts Festival, Gulab said that many Lynn residents still go to neighboring cities for a good time.
“What we were able to identify is that a lot of Lynners actually go to other towns. For a city this size, we have a relatively fewer number of events as compared to our neighboring cities. Salem, for example, has a lot going on in the downtown area and in the city itself. Even though Salem has a smaller population than Lynn, Salem has a lot going on,” Gulab said.
Although the city has plenty of talented arts and culture groups, Gulab said they rarely collaborate. The Creative Cities Initiative, he said, aims to bring these organizations together in a way that will outlive the two-year funding.
“A lot of these nonprofits, as good as they are, they’re very siloed. So they don’t really talk to each other […] some of them may have similar goals and for that reason, they are competitors for the limited grants or moneys that are out there,” Gulab said. “It’s to set the groundwork in the next two years so that people get to meet each other and know each other’s strengths going forward.”
Nonprofits interested in participating can apply through March 15. They must complete their project or event by the last day of the year. While the program focuses primarily on arts and culture expansion, the larger goal, Gulab said, is to bring the city together in a way that boosts local economic development.
“A rising tide floats all boats,” Gulab said. “For the local economy, one of the goals is to benefit local businesses. An example would be when we have a market to invite local vendors to set up tents and sell to Lynners and hopefully people from outside of the city.”
Thomson said that she encourages anyone with an idea to apply.
“It’s a really great opportunity for people who maybe thought they had some great idea for community engagement, using art and culture, celebrating the city, celebrating our community. This is a great opportunity for them to get some help to put something on,” Thomson said. “People should be creative and think about how to participate and help make Lynn a great place.”
