Boston arts and creative community gets boost

Boston is a creative community, with artists and designers working in many areas outside of traditional art roles. From product design to shoe design, to the use of technology in art, there is a strong design community in the Boston area. To provide additional support to this community the New England Foundation for the Arts has established a three-year pilot program to improve the access of arts to Boston-area communities by providing grand funding through a new initiative.

The Creative City initiative is providing funding for a variety of projects in the Boston area that range from writing workshops to concerts and visual arts engagements. The executive director of the foundation indicated that the goal is to inspire artists to create new projects that promote participation in the arts while creating a sense of community.

Awarding cash stipends that range from $2,500 to $10,000 the program is funded by the Barr Foundation. The program is open to artists in Boston and suburban Boston, and require that each artist work collaboratively with a partner in the community where the project will be showcased. At least eight artists have received initial grants under the program, and those that receive funds have one year to complete the project. Additional grant funds are going to be release in early 2016.

American Graphics Institute provides courses for visual artists and digital artists in the Boston area ranging from UX classes and Illustrator workshops that provide skills needed to deliver projects efficiently and creatively. Dedicated artists as well as those that also work in roles as designers are able to discover the best way to apply modern design tools to their projects across a variety of mediums and formats.