THE WAKEFIELD CULTURAL COUNCIL held a grant awards presentation at the Albion Cultural Exchange on Wednesday night, May 8 in conjunction with the annual Advanced Placement Art Gallery Opening. In the front row, from left: Janine Hall, Andy Levine, Town Councilor Mehreen Butt, Council Chairman Dr. Caroline Lieber, Nancy Bertrand, Katie Moore and Colleen Getty. In the back row, from left: Rob MacRobbie, Catherine Dhingra, John Lock, Becky Bonafant and Stephen Lewis. (Gail Lowe Photo)
Published in the May 10, 2019 edition.
By GAIL LOWE
WAKEFIELD — Wakefield resident Catherine Dhingra received a monetary grant on behalf of the Walton School Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) at a Wakefield Cultural Council (WCC) awards presentation held at the Albion Cultural Exchange on Albion Street on Wednesday night, May 8.
Dhingra said that the grant would be used to bring Kidstock Theatre in Winchester to the school to teach students about empathy, tolerance and diversity.
This grant and 21 others totaling more than $8,000 were announced at the reception, emceed by WCC Chairman Dr. Caroline Lieber, violinist and owner of Wakefield Music. The event was held in conjunction with the annual Advanced Placement Art Gallery Opening where the works of Wakefield Memorial High School students are on display.
Those attending to acknowledge individual grants were Wakefield Historical Society President Nancy Bertrand, Town Councilor Mehreen Butt, Becky Bonafant, Stephen Lewis, John Lock, Pina Masciarelli, Colleen Getty and Katie Moore.
Bertrand said the grant she received would be used for framing and restoring old paintings in the care of the Wakefield Historical Society, while Butt said her grant would be used to bring cultural dancing to Wakefield. Bonafant from The Musary, JRP Inc. will use the grant to purchase musical instruments that then will be loaned to financially disadvantaged children.
Moore, from the Boys & Girls Club of Stoneham and Wakefield, noted that the grant would be used to establish a mural club. Masciarielli, representing the Wakefield Human Rights Commission, said the grant will be used to help offset expenses associated with the first Taste of Pride wine tasting event coming to the Americal Civic Center on Wednesday night, June 12.
Lock, from the Middlesex Concert Band, said his organization will use the grant money to fund a “music from around the world” series this coming season. Lewis plans to use the grant for an international poster exhibit to help stamp out hate and racism.
Other grant recipients include: Wakefield Parent Partnership; North Suburban Child & Family Resource Network; Delvena Theatre Company; Green Art Workshop; Woodville School PTO; St. Joseph School; Galvin Middle School PTO; Dolbeare School PTO and the Beebe Library.
A string trio featuring Wakefield Memorial High School students Abby Filtrante, Mia Dardis and Meghan Lyle provided entertainment during the event.
Also attending were Town Administrator Stephen P. Maio, Town Councilor Jonathan Chines, and Timothea Pham from the Massachusetts Cultural Council for Wakefield.
The Wakefield Cultural Council is part of a network of 329 Local Cultural Councils (LCC) serving all 351 cities and towns in Massachusetts. The LCC program is the largest grassroots cultural funding network in the country, supporting thousands of community-based projects in the arts, sciences and humanities every year. The state Legislature provides an annual appropriation to the Massachusetts Cultural Council, an agency which then allocates funds to each community. More information is available at www.mass-culture.org.
