City of Pittsfield to be Honored with Statewide Creative Community Award
PITTSFIELD, Mass. - The City of Pittsfield has been chosen to receive a 2009 Commonwealth Award, Massachusetts' highest awards in the arts, humanities, and sciences. Pittsfield is the first city in Massachusetts to receive the Creative Community Award, given to a city, town, or community-based organization that has demonstrated the central role of arts and culture in building healthier, more vital, more livable communities.“From the expanded Berkshire Museum to the revitalized Colonial Theater, from its 3rd.Thursdays to its independent, creative businesses, Pittsfield knows how to nurture its cultural resources,” said Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC) Executive Director Anita Walker. “The city's mayor, James Ruberto, and its cultural development director, Megan Whilden, understand what arts and culture can do for their city.”
Presented every two years by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, the Commonwealth Awards honor individuals and organizations that have made extraordinary contributions to our communities, our economy, and our quality of life in Massachusetts. The Commonwealth Awards celebration will take place at the Massachusetts State House Tuesday, January 13 from 1 to 4 p.m. Acclaimed actress and Pittsfield native Elizabeth Banks (W., Role Models, Zach & Miri) will be the keynote speaker. Pittsfield Mayor James M. Ruberto will accept the award on behalf of the city.
“This year's Commonwealth Award winners demonstrate the qualities that make Massachusetts such an extraordinary place: creativity, generosity, and a commitment to community service,” said MCC Executive Director Anita Walker. “We are delighted to recognize these individuals and organizations for their exceptional accomplishments and all they have contributed to the Commonwealth.”
“The City of Pittsfield is incredibly honored to receive this award from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts,” said Mayor Ruberto. “We strongly believe in, support, and celebrate arts and culture as an essential part of our economic and community revitalization, with the help and support of the Massachusetts Cultural Council and other state agencies. The best way for Pittsfield and the Commonwealth to move forward successfully in the 21st century is to continue to invest in the creative and entrepreneurial spirit of our community.”
Over the past five years, the City of Pittsfield, located in the heart of culturally-rich Berkshire County in western Massachusetts, has invested in its arts and cultural sector through the establishment of a municipal Office of Cultural Development; the renovation of the Colonial Theatre, a world class gilded age masterpiece; the establishment of a permanent home for Barrington Stage Company in downtown Pittsfield; the expansion and renovation of the century old Berkshire Museum; and by creating a downtown arts district; all of which has helped attract two dozen new businesses to the heart of Pittsfield in the past few years.
Other Commonwealth Awards to be presented at the ceremony include Creative Economy Catalyst awards to the Worcester Cultural Coalition and the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem; a Leadership award to Louis Casagrande of the Boston Children's Museum; and awards in individual achievement, cultural philanthropy, and creative learning.
In addition, former U.S. Ambassador to Ireland Jean Kennedy Smith will be on hand to accept two special awards: one for her work to expand arts access to people with disabilities through the international nonprofit VSA Arts, which she founded; and one on behalf of her brother, Senator Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA), for co-founding the Senate Cultural Caucus and his longtime support for arts and culture in Massachusetts.
The Commonwealth Awards ceremony is held every two years and is an opportunity for the Massachusetts cultural community to gather to celebrate the role that arts and culture play in building community, improving education, and strengthening our economy. For more information on City of Pittsfield, visit www.pittsfield.com. For more information on the Massachusetts Cultural Council, please visit www.massculturalcouncil.org.
