Berkshire Arts Institutions Unite Amid Major Industry Challenges
The coalition aims to advocate for the economic, tourism, and infrastructure needs of the region's cultural organizations.
Tanglewood
- TanglewoodTen prominent arts and culture institutions in Berkshire County have formed the Berkshire Arts and Culture Alliance (BACA). This coalition aims to advocate for the economic, tourism, and infrastructure needs of the region's cultural organizations.
Though the organization was conceived of last year, the project takes on a new urgency in the wake of recent federal grant funding cuts from the National Endowment for the Arts, by order of the Trump administration. Likewise, a $17.3 million grant awarded to the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission by the US Department of Transportation for a 9.3-mile bike and pedestrian path connecting local art museums, cultural sites, historic landmarks, and downtown areas is being withheld as well according to a regional arts administrator with knowledge of the project.
MASS MoCA anchors North Adams.
The founding members of BACA include Barrington Stage, Berkshire Theatre Group, Boston Symphony Orchestra/Tanglewood, the Clark Art Institute, Jacob’s Pillow, the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, MASS MoCA, the Norman Rockwell Museum, Shakespeare & Company, and Williamstown Theatre Festival. Collectively, these institutions attract over 1.7 million visitors annually and contribute nearly $212 million to the local economy according to BACA.
“We know that the Berkshires are unique because of the intellectual and poetic vitality our organizations bring to the region as well as the economic impact we have,” says Pamela Tatge, executive and artistic director of Jacob’s Pillow. “It’s clear that a number of the issues that every cultural organization is dealing with today would be better addressed by approaching new concepts and solutions jointly.”
BACA's objectives include securing support for collective infrastructure needs, providing affordable housing for employees, initiating joint marketing efforts to boost tourism, enhancing transportation options, investing in climate resilience, and improving safety measures on arts campuses.
“Moving forward, it’s our intention to provide public and private sector leadership a platform to address pertinent issues facing the county that involve the interests of arts and culture,” says Chad Smith, President and CEO of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. “We look forward to doing all we can to ensure that our region remains the premier cultural destination in our country.”
State Senator Paul Mark, who represents Berkshire County and chairs the legislature’s Joint Committee on Tourism, Arts, and Cultural Development, expressed support for BACA's initiatives as well.
“The arts and culture sector is a crucial part of the Berkshire County economy, and today these institutions are facing challenges rarely seen in our lifetimes,” he said. “I look forward to partnering with and engaging with BACA and our local creative institutions to ensure that they are able to access the tools, funding avenues, and integrity of artistic expression they need and deserve moving forward.”
As BACA begins to host meetings open to other arts and culture organizations in the region, the alliance aims to foster collaboration and develop strategies to sustain and enhance the cultural landscape of the Berkshires amidst a new landscape of challenges.
