The Cambridge Arts Council is a city agency that funds, promotes, and presents high-quality, community-based arts programming for the benefit of artists, residents, and visitors to Cambridge, MA. Established in 1974, Cambridge Arts is one of the oldest and most dynamic arts agencies in the country. As a public nonprofit, Cambridge Arts operates with funding from local government, private foundations, corporate sponsors, and individual donors and delivers on its mission by fulfilling three primary roles:
Connector : Through partnerships with artists, presenters, donors, and audiences, the agency operates as a vital cultural presence in the region. From connecting local youth with professional teaching artists to securing performance space for both emerging and established ensembles and introducing residents to local artists through Cambridge Open Studios, Cambridge Arts links people and resources from across the artistic spectrum to spark innovative collaboration.
Presenter : In addition to exhibitions and educational programming presented in Gallery 344, Cambridge Arts stages high-profile events such as the Cambridge River Festival, a signature city celebration and regional event. The festival features a wide array of music, dance, theater and visual art and attracts a robust audience of close to 200,000 visitors annually.
Funder : Through the Cambridge Arts Grant Program, Cambridge Arts awards dozens of financial grants each year in support of high-quality, community-based art projects representing all artistic disciplines.
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Nine projects that have been awarded Art for Social Justice Grants totaling $67,500 by Cambridge Arts and the City of Cambridge in 2026.
45 artists and organizations are being awarded $185,215 in Local Cultural Council Grant funding by Cambridge Arts and the City of Cambridge.
Thirteen Cambridge cultural organizations have been awarded $117,000 in Organizational Investment Grants by Cambridge Arts and the City of Cambridge.
A shade canopy adorned with flags designed by local residents, symbolizing community collaboration and storytelling, has arrived at Cambridge’s Hoyt Field
"What would you say to Time if you got the chance?” Michael Talbot asks in his new exhibition, “Conversations With Time,” at Cambridge Arts’ Gallery 344 from Nov. 17, 2025, to Jan. 16, 2026. Join us for an opening reception on Nov. 17 from 5 to 8 p.m., with a poetry reading at 6 p.m. Admission to all events is always free.
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