Ventfort Hall Receives Grant from Mass Cultural Council

Print Story | Email Story
LENOX, Mass — Ventfort Hall Gilded Age Mansion & Museum has received a grant of $15,300 from the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency, through its Operating Grants for Organizations Program.
 
Operating Grants for Organizations will provide multi-year, unrestricted operating grants to nonprofit organizations that enrich Massachusetts' cultural life. These grants will work to strengthen a cultural sector that generates an economic impact of $28.6 billion, employs some 134,000 people, and constitutes 4.1 percent of the state economy.
 
"I am thrilled to see Ventfort Hall receive this well-deserved grant from the Mass Cultural Council," Former State Representative Smitty Pignatelli said. "As a treasured historic site, Ventfort Hall plays a vital role in educating our community, preserving our local heritage, and enriching our cultural landscape. This funding will provide critical support for their ongoing efforts to engage and inspire visitors, ensuring that future generations can experience the beauty and history of this remarkable landmark."
 
For this fiscal year, Mass Cultural Council has adopted a $34 million spending plan, allowing the Agency to award at least 2,500 grants totaling approximately $38 million to the Commonwealth's creative and cultural sector. This is funded primarily through public dollars, including the Agency's $26.7 million state budget appropriation and support from the National Endowment for the Arts. The agency also runs the Mass Cultural Facilities Fund in partnership with MassDevelopment.
 
"We are deeply honored to receive this generous grant from the Mass Cultural Council, which recognizes our ongoing efforts to preserve Ventfort Hall and the vibrant history it represents," Executive Director for Ventfort Hall, Wendy Healey, said. "This support is vital to our mission, which goes beyond restoring this magnificent Jacobean Revival Gilded Age mansion. It allows us to celebrate and honor the diverse individuals and eras whose stories are intertwined with this remarkable place. Thanks to the visionary generosity of organizations like the MCC, we are able to continue writing a new chapter in Ventfort Hall's legacy, ensuring that this once-exclusive Lenox "cottage" remains accessible and welcoming to all."  
 
For this fiscal year, Mass Cultural Council has adopted a $34 million spending plan, allowing the Agency to award at least 2,500 grants totaling approximately $38 million to the Commonwealth's creative and cultural sector. This is funded primarily through public dollars, including the Agency's $26.7 million state budget appropriation and support from the National Endowment for the Arts. The agency also runs the Mass Cultural Facilities Fund in partnership with MassDevelopment.
 
 
 

Tags: Ventfort Hall,   

If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Lenox Library to present The Lenox Minutemen

LENOX, Mass. — Lenox Library will host a presentation on "The Lenox Minutemen" on Saturday, March 29, 2025 from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. with Local History Librarian Amy Lafave.

According to a press release: 

250 years ago, the start of the American Revolutionary War was marked by the Battles of Lexington and Concord. Captain Charles Dibble and his militia companions under the guidance of Colonel John Paterson were training to be ready at a minute's notice, when news arrived in Lenox on April 21, 1775 that the British were on their way to Lexington. Over 30 men from Lenox were part of Paterson's regiment of middle and northern Berkshire minutemen who marched for Cambridge 18 hours later. This feat was accomplished by advanced preparation at a time when there was no Mass Pike, no instantaneous forms of communication, no mass transit.

The events leading to revolution, and the subsequent involvement of the local militia in the war will be discussed.

Visit https://lenoxlib.org or the Library's Facebook page for more information.

View Full Story

More Lenox Stories