At its Tuesday, May 20th 2014 regular meeting, the Holyoke City Council overwhelmingly extended the position of Creative Economy Industries Coordinator (CEIC) for another 2 years until July of 2016. Holyoke was the first city in the Commonwealth to model the State’s Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development and establish a post in its Economic Development Office that specifies in supporting the Creative Sector.
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In recognizing that public art creates a unique sense of place and pride for all citizens and visitors to our community; and in preparation for the return of passenger rail service, the City of Holyoke, as part of a Community Development Block Grant has been awarded up to $20,000 in funding to complete an art installation in conjunction with streetscape renovation on Mosher, Main and Race Streets. This public art installation will transform the Mosher Street Rail Bridge Underpass into ...
Continue Reading → ShareAssets for Artists (A4A) is excited to announce its Fall 2013 grant cycle for artist-entrepreneurs living or operating their creative business anywhere in Massachusetts.
Since 2008, A4A has been committed to helping Massachusetts artists build the foundation for a lifetime of creative work. Apply now to join them!
“This grant and its process was deeply changing, even transformative, ...
Continue Reading → ShareThe City of Holyoke has launched an initiative to assist property owners in the Center City who want to rehabilitate their spaces for artistic, performance and other creative economy uses. Through this Change of Occupancy Determination Evaluation (CODE) Services Program, the City will be providing a handful of building owners with an analysis of which building, fire and other applicable codes would be required for their intended chance in use, along with an estimate of the related costs.
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In the 2012 CreativeNEXT Listen Tour Summary Report, Massachusetts Creative Economy Director, Helena Fuscio, identified business development as a top need among creative enterprises. Starting in February of 2013, Fuscio began holding Creative Resource Panels and Open Office Hours for professionals working in creative industry sectors across the State. Sessions, open to any Western Mass Artists and/or Creative Businesses, are being held in Holyoke at the Massachusetts Green High Performance Computing Center (MGHPCC) on Appleton Street – and Fuscio ...
Continue Reading → ShareThis April, the Holyoke Public Library and the Office of Planning and Economic Development co-sponsored Holyoke: Points of View – a month long celebration of art and culture. Among the festivities produced was a pop-up art & dinning fundraiser called “Deposit”, the brain-child of Holyoke native Brendan Cieko.
Ceiko brought top chefs from Boston (Whisk) to the Paper City ...
Continue Reading → ShareWhat is art? It’s an age-old question, nearly impossible to answer, and yet perennially captivating. This summer, the Office of Planning & Economic Development (OPED) wants to ask a similar question: Where is creative work going on in our city, and how can the City help? In addition to other projects, OPED has directed funds from a Massachusetts Cultural Council grant to conduct a study of both the scope of the creative economy and ...
Continue Reading → ShareGateway City Arts (GCA) in collaboration with the Holyoke Restoration Guild, VK Restoration and Holyoke Boys and Girls Club is currently running an apprenticeship program focused on the applied Arts of historic restoration.
Weekly, a handful of students from the Holyoke Boys & Girls club gather at GCA to work on projects that range from basic house painting, faux finishing and marbling to wood graining, stencil design, gold ...
Continue Reading → ShareLast week, after winning his second Webby Award, internationally renowned, Holyoke-based DJ, Steve Porter announced that he received a 2013 Daytime Emmy Award nomination in the category of “Outstanding Promotional Announcement” for his work creating monthly mash-ups for ABC’s Good Morning America.
Steve Porter and his company, PorterHouse Media, was commissioned by ABC to use his craft of video remixing to create signature monthly mash-ups ...
Continue Reading → ShareIt’s been happening for decades – but now boiling over – Holyoke has seen in influx of artists; designers and producers of creative, cultural and intellectual products that are being exported around the globe. Once a city with the most millionaires per capita, Holyoke is again asserting itself on the world stage.
Holyoke: Points of View was a series of art and cultural events in April 2013 that drew thousands to Holyoke’s redeveloping downtown center. Made possible by the ...
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