Head of Mass Cultural Council tours Hampshire, Franklin County destinations

Sept. 15, 2021 | G. Michael Dobbs
news@thereminder.com

Michael Bobbitt, the new executive director of the Mass Cultural Council, met with local arts and culture leaders at the Jones Library on Sept. 10 to listen to them about how their organizations survived the pandemic and what they need to fully recover from it.
Reminder Publishing photo by G. Michael Dobbs

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY – The new executive director of the Mass Cultural Council told a group of leaders from art and cultural organizations in Amherst he is recommending an allocation of $575 million of federal funds to assist the recovery of arts organizations from the effects of the pandemic.

Michael J. Bobbitt spent most of Sept. 10 touring arts and culture destinations and organizations in Hampshire and Franklin counties. The tour was organized by state Sen. Jo Comerford and state Rep. Mindy Domb.

Comerford explained to Reminder Publishing she wanted to give Bobbitt the opportunity of not only seeing what the region has to offer, but also to listen to how people have survived the pandemic and what their needs are to move forward.

According to his biography, Bobbitt is a theatre director, choreographer and playwright. On Feb. 1, he joined Mass Cultural Council as executive director, becoming the highest-ranking cultural official in Massachusetts. Upon joining the Mass Cultural Council, Bobbitt was invited and agreed to serve on the New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA) Board of Directors.

During his day-long tour he visited David Ruggles Center, Academy of Music, A.P.E. Gallery, 33 Hawley, Historic Northampton in Northampton. He then toured in Amherst and met with a groups of arts leaders at the Jones Library; and completed his day at the Shea Theater in Montague and the Double-Edge Theater in Ashfield.

At the meeting in Amherst, Bobbitt listened to representatives from Mass Humanities, The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, Yiddish Book Center, Hitchcock Center for the Environment, UMass Fine Arts Center, the Jones Library, Amherst History Museum, Amherst Media and the Amherst Cinema, among others.  

He heard how organizations in Amherst had to innovate to remain viable during the pandemic. Billy Spitzer, executive director of Hitchcock Center for  the Environment explained how the center moved many of its programs outdoors. Spitzer added he believes there will be another year with outdoor programming.

Lisa Newman, the director of communications for the Yiddish Book Center, explained having much of the center’s collection of books digitalized prior to the pandemic resulted in virtual programming that attracted visitors from around the world.

Alexandra Kennedy, the executive director of The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, explained the museum had to be closed nine months because of the pandemic and has re-opened but with reduced capacity.

Yasmine Eisenhauer, the executive director of the Amherst Cinema, said the theater survived through online offerings although they did see a substantial drop in revenues. She noted the rise of streaming services during the pandemic, which is making the nonprofit theater complex make the case to patrons for “coming back for an in-person movie experience.”

She said, “It is a moment to be reflective.”

Jim Lescault, the director of Amherst Media, said, “It’s been difficult, as anyone knows, to stay open.” He asked Bobbitt to consider funding for the nonprofit cable access television station, because it serves the arts and culture organizations represented at the meeting.

Bobbitt also heard how the Emily Dickinson Museum and the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art not only attract people from around the region and the nation, but from foreign counties as well.

Bobbitt said that after touring the area he was “madly in love” with it and called it “incredibly beautiful.”

He urged the people at the meeting to write letters to convince members of the Legislature and the Baker Administration the arts and culture sector of the state’s economy deserves the assistance of the federal relief money.

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