Cultural Council to hold reception honoring 2026 grant recipients

The Harvard Cultural Council, part of a network of 329 local cultural councils in the state, has announced its grant recipients for 2026 and will hold a reception to honor them Sunday, May 3, from 3 to 5 p.m. The event will be held at the Harvard Senior Center and is free and open to all town residents. Council Chair Marijke Vallaeys described the reception as “a chance to honor the work of artists and arts organizations in Harvard.”

This year the council funded 17 grants totaling $6,980. Recipients—including Sam Gould from Open Door Theater of Acton, Steve Abrams from the Harvard Historical Society, Linda Shoemaker from Ensemble Eclectic, Michael Kilian from Warner Free Lecture, and Christopher Chalifoux from the Fourth of July Committee—will describe their projects at the reception. “We are particularly excited about the range and quality of Harvard Cultural Council funded projects this year. Each project was chosen because of its substantial public benefit for the residents of Harvard,” wrote Vallaeys.

Special guests will be state Sen. Jamie Eldridge and state Rep. Danillo Sena. So far, Harvard Select Board members SusanMary Redinger and Ahmet Corapcioglu have confirmed attendance, as has Greg Torrales, Harvard’s liaison from the Massachusetts Cultural Council. HCC volunteers will provide cookies and cider.

The Harvard Cultural Council is part of a network of 329 local cultural councils that serve 351 cities and towns across the Commonwealth. The network is the largest grassroots cultural funding program in the country, supporting thousands of community-based projects in the arts, sciences, and humanities every year. The state Legislature provides an annual appropriation to the Massachusetts Cultural Council, which then allocates funds to each community in the network.

The HCC will seek applications this fall, due Oct. 16, 2026, for next year’s funding. Information and forms are available online at massculturalcouncil.org. The committee votes on the grants in November. It is a reimbursement program, and only after the event is held can a reimbursement form be submitted for review by the chair and treasurer. Other members of the council are Pete Jackson, secretary; Margaret Murphy, treasurer; and Jen Slavin, Harriet Friedrich, and Stacy Hagis. The council is looking for additional members.