Artweek Dates for Spring 2020 Festival Announced
The Third Annual Statewide Celebration of the Arts, Presented by Highland Street Foundation and Produced by the Boch Center, Announces May 2020 Dates!
Boston, MA (June 27, 2019) – ArtWeek, which is presented by Highland Street Foundation and produced by the Boch Center, announced that the award-winning festival celebrating arts and culture across the Commonwealth will be held next year from May 1- 10, 2020. The 10-day, innovative festival features creative experiences that are hands-on, interactive, or offer behind-the-scenes access to arts, culture, and the creative process. Last spring, nearly 600 events took place in 134 communities and an astounding 70 percent of them were free to attend.
In addition to the Highland Street Foundation and the Boch Center, the Mass Cultural Council and Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism are returning as the festival’s Lead Champions in a collaborative effort that celebrates “Arts for All” and the power of creative communities. ArtWeek events truly span creative genres and range from events at museums and landmarks, to music and open studios, to arts walks and community festivals, and everything in between. There will be events focused on dance, education, film, public art, and theater, as well as hundreds of family-friendly events. ArtWeek offers affordable – and often free – events and makes all forms of creativity affordable and accessible for anyone who lives, works, plays, and visits Massachusetts.
“Season after season, ArtWeek continues to capture the imagination of more and more communities across the state,” said Josiah A. Spaulding, Jr, President & CEO of the Boch Center. “Our initial goal for the festival was to engage the Greater Boston community and showcase the work of local artists and creative organizations through unique, interactive events outside of the four walls of our theaters. We are thrilled that it has now grown into a statewide spotlight that celebrates the entire Creative Commonwealth!”
“As Highland Street Foundation turns 30 this year, we are excited to continue our efforts focusing on increased access and opportunities for children and families in Massachusetts,” Highland Street Foundation Executive Director Blake Jordan said. “ArtWeek is a wonderful complement to our popular Free Fun Fridays program each summer, both of which offer enrichment, entertainment and educational opportunities in every region of the state.”
Light Up the Night, Art of Food, and #DestinationArtWeek will also return as a special part of the May 2020 festivities. Light Up the Night is a special nighttime salute to arts, cultural, and creative communities where iconic buildings and structures light up during ArtWeek on different nights in multicolored splendor. Art of Food is a special program where restaurants create a special cocktail or menu item inspired by art, and #DestinationArtWeek includes special offerings from various hotels and inns that encourages travelers from near and far to explore the festival throughout the state.
ArtWeek events span the Commonwealth’s six regions: Greater Boston, North of Boston, South of Boston, Cape Cod & Islands, Central Massachusetts and Western Massachusetts. Last year over 130 state, regional, and local partners as well as 28 local media sponsors supported the festival in a collective effort to celebrate creativity across the state. For more information, visit artweekma.org.
About ArtWeek
Presented by Highland Street Foundation and produced by the Boch Center, ArtWeek is an annual award-winning innovative festival featuring almost 600 unique and creative experiences that are hands-on, interactive or offer behind-the-scenes access to artists or the creative process. ArtWeek was born in Boston in 2013 and now serves over 134 towns across Massachusetts as the signature nonprofit community program of the Boch Center.
ArtWeek works to spotlight how the creative economy is thriving in Massachusetts by offering unique and affordable neighborhood-based events that provide increased access to art, culture, and creativity. Through community, artistic, and media collaborations, this festival provides experiences in dance, folk and traditional arts, fashion, media arts, spoken-word, poetry, writing, contemporary visual arts, music, opera, theater, design, film and much more. To learn more about the festival and its growth, visit www.artweekma.org.
About Highland Street Foundation
Since its establishment in 1989, Highland Street Foundation has donated more than $200 million to many worthy non-profit organizations. It is committed to addressing the needs and concerns of children and families primarily in Massachusetts and California specifically in the areas of education, housing, mentoring, health care, environment and the arts. To learn more about Highland Street Foundation, please visit www.highlandstreet.org.
About the Boch Center
The Boch Center is one of the nation’s leading nonprofit performing arts institutions and a guardian of the historic Wang and Shubert Theatres. As New England’s largest cultural venue, the Boch Center is home to theater, classical and popular music, dance, comedy, opera, Broadway musicals, family entertainment, and more. Located in Boston’s historic Theater District, the Boch Center also offers a diverse mix of educational and community outreach initiatives, including the City Spotlights Leadership Program and ArtWeek; collaborates with artists and local nonprofit arts organizations; preserves historic venues; and acts as a champion for Greater Boston’s arts and cultural community. Learn more at bochcenter.org.
About the Mass Cultural Council
The Mass Cultural Council is a state agency that promotes excellence, inclusion, education, and diversity in the arts, humanities, and sciences to foster a rich cultural life for all Massachusetts residents and contributes to the vitality of our communities and economy. The Council pursues this mission through a wide range of grants, initiatives, and advocacy for artists, communities, organizations, and schools. Mass Cultural Council also runs the Massachusetts Cultural Facilities Fund in partnership with MassDevelopment. For more information, please visit www.massculturalcouncil.org.
About the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism
MOTT’s mission is to promote Massachusetts as both a leisure and business travel destination for domestic and international markets and to contribute to the growth of the Commonwealth’s economy. MOTT works closely with 16 regional tourism councils across the state, and with larger tourism alliances such as Discover New England and BrandUSA. For more information on visiting Massachusetts, go to massvacation.com.