Advocates push for creative economy

BOSTON (WWLP) - The Massachusetts Cultural Council is bringing the arts to the forefront on Beacon Hill.

Hundreds of advocates are promoting local art and culture at the State House as the cornerstone to developing a creative economy.

Cultural leaders told lawmakers that the arts brings community revitalization, stimulates local business and develops creative minds. They said economic competitors, like China, are seeing the value in the arts and are investing in it to develop creative thinking.

This comes at a time when the U.S, by contrast, is defunding the arts - by cutting national endowments whose budgets remains below 1990 levels.

"We can build up our communities by way of arts and creativity, that's what makes me love where I live," said Becky George, Chair of the Greenfield Local Cultural Council.

"I moved into a town where the center of the downtown had 8 to 10 buildings that were shuttered and it was really important to think how can we bring art and culture into these buildings that had basically been closed off to the community for better than 20 years," said Bradley McCallum, Brick and Mortar Video Festival.

Folks from the Brick & Mortar International Video Art Festival were awarded for their work in Western Massachusetts.

Every year they transform downtown Greenfield into an outdoor art exhibit by displaying videos from around the world on historic buildings.