the Lincoln Cultural Council

The Lincoln Cultural Council (LCC)

The LCC promotes and supports community events and individual artists’ endeavors. There is a special emphasis on providing grants to an assortment of programs that in aggregate represent a diverse cross-section of activities that appeal to various age groups.

Members of the council are volunteers who are committed to artistic expression and creative works and who are appointed by the Lincoln Board of Selectmen to represent the town.

We are always seeking new members as well as innovative ideas for appropriate projects. We would love to hear from you.

If you would like to become a member of the LCC, please see the section below titled “Would you like to join the LCC?”

If you would like to submit a grant proposal, please see the section below titled  “Grant Submission.

Here is a partial list of past events which were funded by grants from the Lincoln Cultural Council:

• Travis Roy's talk on Living with Disability
• Travis Roy is the Boston University men’s ice hockey player who slid into the boards 11 seconds into his first appearance on the ice in an NCAA game, cracking his 4th vertebra and leaving him a quadriplegic. Mr. Roy shared his experiences about how the end of his life long dream of playing ice hockey led to the rebirth of hope. He addressed the day to day challenges faced by people with disabilities to obstacles that are minor to those without disabilities, and how he has achieved what at first appeared to be unattainable goals, including the publication of a book written by him about his life, the creation by him of a non-profit foundation to help other disabled people, graduation from Boston University, and a successful career as a motivational speaker.

• Buccaneers of Buzz: Celebrating the Honey Bee, a multimedia event and concert was presented by Rialto Arts, to help bring beekeepers together with the community and teach the importance of Honey Bees in providing the abundant supplies of fruits and other food we enjoy in our country. This exceptional program was awarded a 2009 Gold Star Award from the Massachusetts Cultural Council.

• Writing workshop led by Newbery award-winning children’s book author Linda Sue Park.

• Pastel Workshops led by Gregory Maichack. This was a hands-on instructional session on pastel drawing held at the Lincoln Library.

• The Lincoln Minutemen “Lincoln Colonial History Day in the National Park,” an educational and celebratory event in Minuteman National Historical Park.

• Wildlife Photography Workshops.

Grant Submission:

For fiscal year 2011 the Council will receive $3,870 from the Massachusetts Cultural Council and intends to award all of the funds to multiple grantees.

The LCC is a part of, and funded by, the Massachusetts Cultural Council. Forms, local policy guidelines, application procedures, tips for applicants and a list of Frequently Asked Questions can be found at the Lincoln Cultural Council Program Information site on the Massachusetts Cultural Council's official website.

https://www.mass-culture.org/Lincoln

Please read this information prior to submitting your grant application. If, after reading the information at the Massachusetts Cultural Council website, you have questions please send them to the e-mail address listed in “Contact the LCC.” Completed grant applications and a signed copy of the local policy guidelines should be sent to the address listed in “Contact the LCC.”  

Lincoln Cultural Council Members

Melinda Abraham (co-chair), Sarah Bishop, Amy Goodwin, Barbara Low, Lisa Putukian (co-chair), Joanie Schaffner and Susan Welsh

Would you like to join the LCC?

• Would you like to help bring more cultural events to Lincoln, or promote and expand the creative community of our town?
• Are you creative and/or self expressive?
• Are you an Artist, Musician, Writer or other type of performer?
• Do you enjoy and support the work of other creative individuals?

If any of these apply, then please consider becoming a member of the LCC. You do not need to be an artist, musician, writer, etc., to join. All you need is a desire to help. The council's mission is accomplished via the solicitation and review of proposals for grants to sponsor cultural activities in Lincoln. Such grants can include funding the work of artists, musicians, writers, etc. either directly, via sponsorship of performances, or indirectly via funding for classes, lectures or other activities which help encourage Lincoln residents to engage in creative activities.

Proposals are due in the fall of each year. After the proposal submission deadline, LCC members review the proposals and then meet to discuss the grant proposals and to select those which will be funded.

In addition to our main mission of reviewing grant proposals, each Council member is assigned the responsibility of being the contact person for one or more grantees. The Council members help the grantees to successfully complete the work, exhibit, event, etc. proposed in the grant. Since grantees may often be from outside Lincoln this usually in the form of providing local knowledge such as providing referral to appropriate contact persons within various groups in Lincoln or the town government. Council members also assist in the important task of verifying that the grantees properly publicize the event, especially with regard to ensuring that the Lincoln Cultural Council and Massachusetts Cultural Council are properly credited for their role in supporting the grantee. It is helpful, but not necessary, for the Council member to attend the grantee's event.

From time to time, the Council may also stage its own events. Participation of Council members is essential to making these types of events successful.

Please note that because the LCC is an official Council of the Town of Lincoln, membership on the Council is subject to the application to, and approval by, the Lincoln Board of Selectmen. If appointed, members should be willing to serve at least one three year term, be sworn in by the Lincoln Town Clerk and complete a short on-line basic training program at the Massachusetts Cultural Council website.

Contact the LCC
Questions, ideas, and suggestions are welcome! Please contact us by e-mail or by regular mail:

mkabraham@att.net

Lincoln Cultural Council
c/o Lincoln Town Offices
16 Lincoln Road
Lincoln, MA 01773