May 1, 2023 |Arts, Creative Cities, Lynn, Lynn Community Television, MassDevelopment, News, Non-profits

Locals create opportunities as Lynnspire grants are awarded

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The City of Lynn is pleased to announce the recipients of the Lynnspire Creative Placemaking Grant Program. Sixteen individuals and organizations were recently chosen to receive a portion of a $50,000 grant allocation from MassDevelopment’s TDI Creative Cities initiative to support them in community-driven, creative projects that promote engagement within the community, and create a sense of place. The winners will produce and manage their activities by the end of this year.

“We are fortunate to have received so many applicants proposing everything from public art projects, to engaging community events, to LGBTQ+ support resources. This left the review committee with the tough task of selecting just 16 awardees in this group of over 36 diverse and worthy applications. It was a great problem to have.”

LaCrecia Thomson, Arts & Culture Planner for the City of Lynn & Lynn Creative Cities lead

The Lynnspire grant program was open to all, and favored Lynn-based creatives. Outreach announcing the grant opportunity was done locally on LCTV and digitally through an informational video produced by Francois Studios. “This is our first granting opportunity through the Creative Cities initiative,” says Sunil Gulab, project manager for the City of Lynn Creative Cities initiative, “and I believe our outreach efforts paid off in a great way.” “Being able to support and showcase local creatives by empowering them to dream about what they can do to benefit the city is very satisfying.”

All Lynnspire applicants followed specific eligibility criteria, then were judged via a standard rubric used for every applicant. Each proposal was scored with awardees being the top scores. There are ten $1000 grants, four $5000 grants, & two $10,000 grants. Winning activities include an ethnic festival, music at the Lynn Farmers Market, programming at a dance school, boatbuilding, student-led rotating art wall, a pop-up LGBTQ+ community center, and more.

“Congratulations to all the awardees of the Lynnspire Grant,” said Mayor Jared C. Nicholson. “This opportunity supports our local, creative talent and is a great way to promote inclusivity while also embracing our city’s artistic identity. Lynn has an outstanding tradition of community engagement and collaboration through arts and culture, and we are appreciative of all the work of the review committee.”

2023 Grant Awardees

$10,000 Awardees

• North Shore Haitian Association for the “Bwa Kayiman Festival”
• United Lynn Pride for “Pop up LGBTQ+ Community Center”

$5,000 Awardees

• Take off Inc. for “TKF Photography Masterclass”
• Cultura Latina Dance Academy Inc. for “CLDA Dance”
• The Brickyard Collaborative for “Community Boatbuilding Program”
• Chase the Chill, Lynn for “Central Square Scarf Bomb”

$1,000 Awardees

• Northshore Juneteenth Association Inc. for “Diversity Matters Fest” (2x $1000)
• Lynn Community TV for “Open Houses by Ward”
• The Real Program Inc. for “The Power of Literacy-Frederick Douglass Day”
• Northern Edge Productions for “Music at Lynn Farmers Market”
• Emmanuelle Arts for “Art Inspired by the new Bike Path in Lynn”
• Olivia Werth for “Untitled Zine Project”
• KIPP Academy Lynn for “Student led Rotating Wall Proposal”
• Nancy Y. Huang for “Lynnvision Block Party”
• Lynn Chamber Players for “Chamber Orchestra with Kids”

This grant program is funded by MassDevelopment/TDI and the Barr Foundation. This program is one component of a broader “TDI Creative Cities” initiative to boost arts-based economic development.

The above press release was submitted to us by TDI Creative Cities.