Provincetown Designated A Massachusetts Cultural District
PROVINCETOWN, MA (PRWEB) May 27, 2017 -- The Massachusetts Cultural Council Board of Directors voted today to name Provincetown a Massachusetts Cultural District. The designation celebrates Provincetown’s long history as a center of iconoclastic art, entertainment, natural beauty and heritage.
The Provincetown district is named the Art, Culture & Heritage District. It will begin at Pilgrims’ First Landing Park and run the length of Commercial Street before ending at Snail Road. The distinction will enhance the visitor and resident experience. It includes architectural and historic sites as well as 60 art galleries, three museums, eight performance venues, plus memorial and cultural attractions. Some highlights are historic homes along Commercial Street, Pilgrims’ First Landing Park, Pilgrim Monument and Provincetown Museum, Provincetown Art Association and Museum, The Fine Arts Work Center, and the Provincetown Theater.
“The Provincetown Cultural District is a tremendous opportunity to bring our cultural community together. The arts, culture and heritage organizations of the Town continuously work to preserve the history, share what’s new and promote their uniqueness. This designation provides a welcome joint venture by packaging our local arts, humanities and science organizations with the Mass Cultural Council. Local residents will benefit in new and enhanced economic development and visitors will find expanded services during their stay in Provincetown,” said Provincetown Town Manager, David Panagore.
The Council launched the initiative in 2011 after state legislature passed a bill approving it the previous year. Cultural districts are meant to help local artists and organizations produce cultural programs. These bursts of creativity help to create an enticing place for visitors of the cultural districts.
The Provincetown Cultural District designation will help establish the area as a tourist destination with a unique history. Provincetown is considered America’s oldest continuous art colony and maintains the heritage of America’s LGBTQ+ community whose vibrant spirit entices visitors far and wide to explore, create, and learn 365 days of the year.
Anthony Fuccillo, Director of Tourism for Provincetown said, “We are happy to receive the Cultural District designation. Cultural Tourism has grown to be one of the top reasons for travel and Arts, Culture and Heritage are part of the tapestry of the Town. When planning a road trip vacation there is an entire chain of Mass Cultural Districts along the Cape and the Islands from Plymouth to Provincetown, there are nine districts to visit, Plymouth Bay, Sandwich, Hyannis, Barnstable Village, Orleans, Wellfleet and Provincetown, with two more on Nantucket and the Vineyard.”
The Cultural District designation will give Provincetown access to a grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council Board as well as potential operational grants, and donations from other departments within the Commonwealth. The Council will also include Provincetown in their Cultural District marketing campaign.
The designation of Provincetown as a cultural district is part of a larger vision to continue to promote Provincetown as a robust cultural experience and enhance Provincetown’s economy and the quality of life for visitors and residents.
The Provincetown cultural experience would focus on wayfinding, compelling storytelling and distribution of useful information and services. The concept includes traditional signs, as well as environmental and embedded street art. At the heart is a digital media program that connects visitors using pre-recorded storytelling, GPS, and digital pylons to bring the history of Provincetown’s cultural centers to life.
About the Mass Cultural Council
The Mass Cultural Council is a state agency supporting the arts, sciences, and humanities, to improve the quality of life in Massachusetts and its communities. It pursues its mission through a combination of grants, services, and advocacy for nonprofit cultural organizations, schools, communities, and artists. The agency's total budget for this fiscal year is $16.1 million, which includes a $14 million state appropriation and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts. The Council also runs the Massachusetts Cultural Facilities Fund in partnership with MassDevelopment.
Nadine Licostie, Red Thread, http://redthread.nyc, +1 (646) 560-5727, [email protected]
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