Watertown Cultural Council

01/31/2026

Funded in partnership between the Public Arts Committee and the Watertown Cultural Council.

11/17/2025

The Watertown Cultural Council celebrated finishing the grant allocation process.

Members read over 60 grant applications from local artists and arts and culture organizations. This year the funding requests amounted to three-and-half times the dollar amount the Council had to distribute. This made for some very difficult but well-considered, thoughtful decisions.

10/02/2025

It's OCTOBER! Two more weeks to apply for Watertown Cultural Council grants for the arts, cultural events, and science activities to benefit the residents of Watertown. Deadline is October 16.

09/17/2025

09/15/2025

Grant Season is underway!

08/10/2025

Congratulations Watertown Arts Market on a great event!

Cultural Council members answered questions about arts and culture funding. Applications open September 2nd.

07/21/2025

Watertown Cultural Council Announces Results of 2024-2025 Grants Season

The Watertown Cultural Council (WCC) has completed its 2024-2025 grants season, awarding just under $35,000 in grants to a variety of individuals and organizations. The grants were funded by Massachusetts Cultural Council, and, for the first time, the Commonwealth’s funds were matched by funds from The City of Watertown, enabling the WCC to double its impact on Watertown’s cultural life.

The WCC processed 66 grant applications, approving 33 of those grants. Here are some examples of projects that received funding from the WCC:
• ArtsMarket
• Porchfest
• Open Mic
• Multiple events at the Watertown Library
• Multiple events at Watertown public schools and one at Perkins School
• Senior Center musical presentations
• Mossessian Center for the Arts course tuition assistance
• Actor's Shakespeare Project course tuition assistance
• Watertown's first dragon boat entered in the Dragon Boat Festival
• Plaque to commemorate Watertown artist Arshile Gorky
• Historical Society newsletter
• River of Light workshops and performance

In May, the WCC held a reception for its grantees at Gore Place, where the recipients shared how they made use of the grant money provided.

The WCC’s grant application season for 2025-2026 opens September 2, 2025 and closes on October 16, 2025. Each grant season is unique, so those who applied in the past season may apply again, whether or not they received a grant for 2024-2025 season.

06/16/2025

Partially funded by the Watertown Cultural Council.

Livingston Ceramics will be participating at the Fifth Annual Watertown Arts Market! Stop by their booth and check out their wheel-thrown ceramics on Saturday, August 9th between 12-5pm at Arsenal Park in Watertown.

Check out more of their work here https://livingstonceramics.etsy.com and join us in welcoming them to WAM2025!

Watertown Cultural Council

06/16/2025

One of this year's grantees.

WATERTOWN – Watertown made waves at the 2025 Boston Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival with the debut of its first-ever team, the Night Herons. Organized by the Chinese American Association of Watertown, the team brought together residents from across the city to compete in one of the nation’s most ...

05/15/2025

Gore Place graciously hosted our annual Grantee Celebration, honoring those who received WCC grants in FY25.

It was a delightful evening with entertainment provided by the resident goats.

05/01/2025

Deadline extended! We are still looking for logo designs. Submit your entry by May 16.

04/30/2025

All are invited!