WEST SPRINGFIELD — Finding cultural enrichment outside of larger cities can be a challenge. It is the mission of the West Springfield Arts Council to foster cultural programs and events and bring them to the people of West Side.
In Massachusetts, there are 329 local cultural councils, representing the state’s 351 municipalities and some of its tribal entities. The local councils are funded by the Mass Cultural Council. The state agency allocated $26,000 to the West Springfield Arts Council for its fiscal year 2025 grants, $5,000 more than last year. The amount each council is allocated is based on population, West Springfield Arts Council Chair Donna Laconti explained.
The council received 44 applications this year, more than twice the applications submitted on average. “We were very lucky,” she said. Twenty-two grants were awarded to 19 organizations and individuals. The grant amounts range, depending on the program and the amount available to the council.
When choosing which projects to award grants to, the council considers several factors, the most important being whether the project would benefit the community as a whole. “We put in a great deal of time and effort” when vetting the projects, Laconti said of the volunteer council.
The programs that were chosen reflect a wide variety of interests, from music to history, art and dance. There are drumming programs, meditation classes and even a walking tour of the town’s Ashleyville Cemetery, with graves that date to 1770. While some awardees have received grants in the past, Laconti said, “We like to get new programs into the town.”
Laconti added that she would like to see more schools apply. This year, grants were awarded for a West Springfield High School Pops Band and Choir Pops Concert, and workshops and programs at Memorial, John Ashley and Coburn Elementary schools. Laconti said the cultural council has a good working relationship with the town and the staff has been “wonderful.”
Funding cultural offerings in the town is only half of the equation. “We’d like to increase the [number of] people who attend these programs,” Laconti said. “These are great things to do and they’re local. They’re interesting, easy to attend programs. They’re not expensive and they’re in our own town.”
A list of the Cultural Council grant-funded programs follows:
West Springfield Public Library
- Everlasting Herbariums & Botanical Brooms — February and October
- Beginner Dance Series: Waltz, Rumba, Swing — March 4, April 8, May 6
- Small Planet Dancers: Historical Dance Series — March 8 and Nov. 15
- Alice in Wonderland: Teapot Collage Workshop — April 19
- Mary Witt: Music for Community — April 29
- Sarah Clay: Games People Play — May 17
- James J. Manning: Balloons, Books and Magic – A Colorful Reading Adventure — July 29
- Timothy D. Kane: Drums & Strums — July 31
- West Springfield Boys & Girls Club
- Slime Time Enrichment Clubs — runs through Feb. 18
- Community Engagement: Art Exhibition & Culture Festival — April 15 and May 14
- Hawthorn Elder Services
- Trevor Smith: Laugh for the Health of it: Creating Healthy Lifestyles through Laughter — April 4, 21 and 28
- West Springfield Senior Center
- Crafting with Kristen — April 11, June 13, Sept. 5, Nov. 21
West Springfield High School
- West Springfield Music Parents Association: 2025 West Springfield High School Band and Choir Pops Concert — May 9
Memorial and John Ashley schools
- Eric Carle Workshops — ongoing through spring
Coburn Elementary School
- Think Big, Dream Big, and Go Big — May 29
Park Street Town Green
- West Springfield Garden Club: 9-11 Memorial Garden — ongoing through spring
Majestic Theater
- The Theater Project, Inc.: New Voices — June 29
Worthington and on YouTube
- Sevenars 57th Anniversary Season — July 13-Aug. 17
Ashleyville Cemetery
- Robert Comeau: Ashleyville Cemetery Walking Tour — Aug. 9
Mittineague Park
- West Springfield Parks and Recreation: Santa’s House — Dec. 8-23
Grace Lutheran Church
- David Neill: Christmas and Holiday Sing-Along by the Fanfare Brass — Dec. 12
Online programs
- Hilltown Families Suggest — year-long
For more information about the West Springfield Cultural Council and the deadlines for grant applications, visit townofwestspringfield.org/artscouncil.
