THE GRIFFIN MUSEUM OF PHOTOGRAPHY is thrilled to announce the award of a $60,000 Cummings Foundation Grant!
The Cummings Foundation Artist Residency
Winchester, MA – The Griffin Museum of Photography is delighted to announce that it has been awarded a generous grant from the Cummings Foundation to support artist residencies over the next three years. This funding will enable the museum to provide exceptional opportunities for emerging and established photographers of diverse backgrounds to pursue their creative endeavors and engage with the local community in Winchester.
The Griffin Museum is one of 150 local nonprofits that will share in $30 million through Cummings Foundation’s major annual grants program. The Winchester based organization was selected from a total of 630 applicants during a competitive review process. It will receive $60,000 over the next three years.
The Cummings Foundation, renowned for its commitment to supporting local organizations, has once again demonstrated its unwavering dedication to the arts. Their belief in the transformative power of photography and their commitment to fostering artistic growth align perfectly with the Griffin Museum’s mission to cultivate an appreciation and understanding of the art of photography.
The Cummings $30 Million Grant Program primarily supports Massachusetts nonprofits that are based in and serve Middlesex, Essex, and Suffolk counties.
The majority of the grant decisions were made by about 90 volunteers. They worked across a variety of committees to review and discuss the proposals and then, together, determine which requests would be funded. Among these community volunteers were business and nonprofit leaders, mayors, college presidents, and experts in areas such as finance and DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion).
“It would not be possible for the Foundation to hire the diversity and depth of expertise and insights that our volunteers bring to the process,” said Vyriotes. “We so appreciate the substantial time and thought they dedicated toward ensuring that our democratized version of philanthropy results in equitable outcomes that will really move the needle on important issues in local communities.”
The Foundation and volunteers first identified 150 organizations to receive three-year grants of up to $225,000 each. The winners included first-time recipients as well as nonprofits that had previously received Cummings grants. Twenty-five of this latter group of repeat recipients were then selected by a volunteer panel to have their grants elevated to 10-year awards ranging from $300,000 to $1 million each.
This year’s grant recipients represent a wide variety of causes, including housing and food insecurity, workforce development, immigrant services, social justice, education, and mental health services. The nonprofits are spread across 46 different cities and towns.
Cummings Foundation has now awarded $480 million to greater Boston nonprofits. The complete list of this year’s 150 grant winners, plus nearly 1,500 previous recipients, is available at www.CummingsFoundation.org.
Through this grant, the Griffin Museum of Photography will be able to invite artists of typically underrepresented identities to reside within our organization for a designated period. These artist residencies will provide photographers with a unique platform to experiment with innovative ideas, and explore pertinent issues in the contemporary world.
The financial support from the Cummings Foundation will ensure that the Griffin Museum can provide these artists with essential resources and tools during their residencies. From access to equipment, competitive honoraria, and per diems, the artists will have everything they need to realize their artistic visions.
“We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the Cummings Foundation for their extraordinary generosity and commitment to the arts,” said Crista Dix, Executive Director of the Griffin Museum of Photography. “This grant will empower us to nurture the talents of photographers, connecting them with the Winchester community, through education and visual literacy programs. We are currently in the midst of making artist selections, and are thrilled to hear from new voices and amplify them by way of our amazing museum’s platform.”
The Griffin Museum of Photography is eager to embark on this exciting journey made possible by the Cummings Foundation’s support. The residencies will not only enrich the artistic practices of the participating photographers but will also contribute to the cultural landscape of our local community and beyond.
About the Cummings Foundation
Woburn-based Cummings Foundation, Inc. was established in 1986 by Joyce and Bill Cummings of Winchester, MA and has grown to be one of the largest private foundations in New England. The Foundation directly operates its own charitable subsidiaries, including New Horizons retirement communities, in Marlborough and Woburn, and Cummings Health Sciences, LLC. Additional information is available at www.CummingsFoundation.org.
