December 12, 2024
For Immediate Release
The Watertown Community Foundation Makes $20,000 Emergency Stabilization Grant to the Mosesian Center for the Arts
Watertown, MA, December 12, 2024 – The Watertown Community Foundation made an off-cycle, emergency stabilization grant of $20,000 to the Mosesian Center for the Arts to offset the lasting impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Arts non-profits were hit hard during the pandemic. In an effort to build back after months of being shuttered, pandemic relief funds were used to create additional programming which also came with additional staffing. With the sudden and noticeable loss of the New Repertory Theatre, revenue did not keep up with the expanded programming," explained Board Chair, Shaunna Harrington.
Shaunna added, "we needed an infusion of cash to stabilize the organization to create space to strategically evaluate staffing and programming. We are grateful to Roberta Miller, the MCA's former Executive Director, for returning in a pro bono capacity as interim executive director as we chart a new, sustainable way forward."
"This emergency grant from the Watertown Community Foundation is impactful in both tactical and symbolic ways. Paired with contributions from dedicated individuals in our community, this grant allowed us to balance our budget and breathe a sigh of relief. Symbolically, this grant affirms the importance of the MCA in the arts landscape of Watertown. A multi-disciplinary arts center has been embedded in the fabric of our city for nearly 20 years. Our community relies on the MCA for affordable access to art classes, summer camps, exhibitions, theatre productions, musical numbers, Watertown Children’s Theater, and so much more," said Roberta Miller, Interim Executive Director, MCA.
“An arts hub, like The Mosesian Center for the Arts, is a cultural crossroads that enriches our community and keeps people connected and engaged. It helps build understanding and empathy, while also serving as an educator and economic engine that supports our kids, local artists, and local business. Like other dedicated donors in Watertown, the Watertown Community Foundation cannot imagine the Watertown arts scene without the artistic inspiration and leadership of the Mosesian Center. That is why we made this significant leadership grant to meet this emergency. We hope it inspires giving from other supporters who value, as much as we do, what the Mosesian Center brings to our community,” said Tia Tilson, Executive Director, Watertown Community Foundation.
The Watertown Community Foundation works to advance and support positive change for the people who live and work here. We do this by transforming the contributions we receive from the Watertown community into support for organizations that serve the Watertown community, like the Mosesian Center. To find out more about how your giving to the Watertown Community Foundation can make a transformative impact, right here in Watertown, visit watertownfoundation.org/donate-today.
About Watertown Community Foundation
The Watertown Community Foundation works to build and sustain a vibrant, close-knit community in Watertown – now, and for future generations. Since 2003, WCF has awarded more than $3,000,000 in grants to address local needs to make positive change in the lives of people who live and work in Watertown. With financial support from the Watertown community, we partner with non-profits to help end food insecurity, keep people housed, educate kids, lift-up the arts, and break down barriers to bring people together.
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WCF Board of Directors: Lauren Coughlin Unsworth and Mary Ann Mulligan (Co-Presidents); Albrik Avanessian; Emily Barclay; Ninos Hanna; Nathalie Highland; Eileen Hsü-Balzer; Heather Leary; Kathryn Madden; Jen Nicholson; Anthony Paolillo; Leah Pennino; Lora Sabin; Robert Shay; David Siegel; and Felicia Sullivan
About the Mosesian Center for the Arts
The Mosesian Center for the Arts is a performing and visual arts venue on the Charles River in Watertown, Massachusetts. The 30,000 square foot facility, located in an historic 1894 manufacturing shop on a former U.S. Army arsenal, houses a 339-seat main stage theater, a flexible black box theater, exhibition galleries, art classrooms, and a rehearsal studio. Programming includes professional and community theater and musical performances, comedy, gallery exhibitions, literary and art discussions, and performing and visual arts classes and workshops for all ages
Media Contact: Tia Tilson
Watertown Community Foundation
tia.tilson@watertownfoundation.org