Love Art Collective
Springfield Creative City Collective
Black and Brown Wall Street
Love Art Collective awarded 403k By State Organizations to Develop Block Art Studio
MassDevelopment and Mass Cultural Council Funds Block Art Studio In Springfield, MA
For Immediate Release Jasper McCoy M.Arch.
Date: May 25th, 2023 Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Springfield MA - The Love Art Collective Inc. (LAC) is proud to announce that the organization has received two state funded resources to develop the Block Art Studio (BAS) here in the heart of Mason Square. The LAC won a $174,000 Cultural Facilities Fund Grant from the Mass Cultural Council and MassDevelopment for this capital project. The LAC has also won a $229,000 MassDevelopment Transformative Development Initiative (TDI) Equity Investment program grant to complete the project. This funding will empower the LAC to acquire and transform a community landmark building that has operated in Springfield for over 98 years.
The Block Art Studio will be a Black-owned and -operated Art and Culture center that is focused on investing in the creative and cultural ecosystem of our Gateway City. This facility seeks to be a vibrant and dynamic incubator for youth, creatives and visionary entrepreneurs of Springfield and beyond. Jasper McCoy, the Senior Business Strategist of the Love Art Collective and Managing Director of Block Art Studio explains, “Block Art Studio reflects the potential of a creative community when expanding local neighborhood culture, talent and business becomes a priority. BAS will be a landmark example to creative cities like ours, showing the sustainability of a cultural ecosystem where the creatives are given the resources first.”
McCoy has partnered with a variety of Western Mass creative economy stakeholders since the start of the pandemic to develop sustainable pathways to strengthen the Springfield arts and culture community. He was an integral part in the formation of the Springfield Creative City Collective through a conglomerate partnership that won a $535,000 2022 MassDevelopment Creative Cities Grant through their TDI programming. McCoy has tapped Tiffany Allecia M.Ed., Executive Director of the Springfield Creative City Collective to serve as the Director of Creative and Cultural Development for the Block Art Studio. Allecia describes, “Block Art is a collective achievement of years of strategic planning for the advancement of the Black and Brown community of Springfield through intentional investment in our creative economy. The development of this studio will provide diverse, equitable, inclusive, accessible and culturally relevant opportunities for growth and sustainability within Springfields’ economic sector pertaining to arts and culture.”
Springfield arts and culture executives are sharing their excitement surrounding the studios development including the Executive Director of the Art for the Soul Gallery, Rosemary Tracy Woods who will serve as a consultant on the capital project. Woods describes, “We enthusiastically support the Block Art Studio project by the Love Art Collective. It is a transformative undertaking to uplift BIPOC creatives, expand the creative economy, and enrich our City’s Arts and Culture scene. The Block Art Studio will not only foster inclusivity and representation but plans to create opportunities for economic growth and social change. This project continues the will and legacy of Rosemary Tracy Woods in building vibrant, equitable communities through Art and Culture. We’re excited to partner on this project consulting directly through RT Woods Arts.”
The development of the Block Art Studio and the initiatives of the Love Art Collective are in alignment with the City of Springfields efforts to invest in arts and cultural development as a sustainable economic initiative. City Council President Jesse Lederman states, “ The Love Art Collective represents a true grassroots movement in the City of Springfield, and their upcoming new physical space builds upon their community driven mission. I welcome and thank the team for their work that will certainly broaden local artistic opportunities and contributions, and expand the arts and culture economy to build wealth for the artists that call our city home while lifting up all that they contribute to our community.”
The Block Art Studio will feature a gallery space, arts and culture oriented professional development opportunities, cultural enrichment programming, youth art empowerment initiatives, community events, crossover events with the Springfield Museums, collaborative spaces to strategically plan further improvements to the Springfield creative economy, fine art private experiences.
Contact:
Jasper McCoy M.Arch.
Senior Business Strategist Love Art Collective
Managing Director of Block Art Studio
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
(413) 949-9977