The Becket Cultural Council has awarded 29 grants totaling $19,000 for 2025. The grants will support a wide range of arts, humanities, and science programming for people of all ages in Becket. Said Council Chair Cathy Terwedow, “Massachusetts is the only state to include cultural-enrichment funds for every town in its annual budget. We’re particularly fortunate in Becket, where electors also voted to make the arts part of the Town’s annual budget. We have a unique opportunity here to support so many local artists, musicians, storytellers, poets, dancers, and crafts people while at the same time delivering all of the programs right here in Becket, giving residents so many things to see and do throughout the year!”
The Becket Cultural Council is one of 329 Local Cultural Councils (LCC) in the Commonwealth. The state legislature provides an annual appropriation to the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency, which then allocates funds to each community. Decisions about which activities to support are made at the community level by a board of municipally-appointed volunteers. Of the grants awarded for 2025, $5,500 was funded by Becket; $13,500 came from the State. Noted Leigh Davis, State Representative of the 3rd Berkshire District, “I’m proud to support the Becket Cultural Council and its dedicated volunteers, who work tirelessly to enrich our community through the arts, culture, and local initiatives.”
The members of the Becket Cultural Council are Cathy Terwedow, Chair; Andrea Pecor, Treasurer; Lisa Rosier, Secretary; Sarah Reedy, Publicity; Andi Cawein; Shelley Chanler; Karen Ludington; and Jane Markham.
This year’s grants include:
- Becket Arts Center for its Music Brings Communities Together
- Becket Athenaeum for its Museum Passes program and community programs
- Becket Beat for local journalism
- Becket Washington School for Interactive Science Exploration, BTG Plays!, and Jacob’s Pillow Curriculum in Motion
- Becket Washington School PTO for Picnic in the Park and a STEAM Assembly and Events
- Berkshire Music School, Inc. for Rhythms of Brazil: A Journey Through Traditional Musical Instruments
- Facepaint, Inc for the donation of books and online resources to the Becket Athenaeum
- Jodi Hostetter for Music in the Park
- Kate Hubbell for Introduction to Tools and Carpentry Basics
- Berkshire Art Center for the ARTcentric after-school program at the Becket Washington School
- Mollie Kellogg for Incognito Witch, the Musical
- Laurel Lenski for Kinesthetic Learning with Intrinsic Movement
- Jana Pfeiffer for The Juckets
- Q-MoB Inc for Celebrating Becket/Hilltown Pride Queer History and Culture
- Sevenars Concerts for their 57th Anniversary Season
- The Stockbridge Sinfonia, Inc. for their concert series
- Town of Washington for Family Fun Day
- Lara Tupper for Beginning to See the Light: A Cabaret Evening with Lara Tupper and Benny Kohn
- Becket Arts Center for songwriting series and concert
- Becket Arts Center for teen arts program
- Becket Athenaeum for additional monthly programming
- Becket Beat, for Facebook intern
- Becket Washington School for traveling science program
- Laurel Burgwardt for Becket Free Thanksgiving Dinner
- Sherwood Forest for Memorial Day potluck entertainment
Grants applications for 2025 are now closed. To apply for a 2026 grant, visit www.townofbecket.org/becket-cultural-council in early September. For more information about the Becket Cultural Council, send an email to becketculturalcouncil@townofbecket.org.
