2026 Grant Recipients
The 2026 grant cycle was a banner year. A record 44 applications were awarded funding, with $91,885 distributed to support projects and events taking place across Martha’s Vineyard in 2025 and 2026. Additionally, at the suggestion of the Mass Cultural Council, the MVCC switched from reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses to direct, up-front funding, removing cost as a barrier and allowing projects to move forward without requiring artists and organizations to self-finance.
The MVCC is made up of municipally-appointed volunteers from all six Island towns who work to bring resources into the community and expand access to quality cultural programming. Supported projects aim to serve the community while enriching the Island’s diversity of offerings in the arts, humanities, and interpretive sciences.
Featured below are the 2026 grant recipients:
Aquinnah Culture Center Inc. / 17th Annual Native Artisan Market and Festival
Aquinnah Variety Show / Aquinnah Variety Show
Candida Rose / KabuMerikanus - The Sum of US: Songs, Sounds, and Rhythms of Cabo Verde
Abby Bender / Built on Stilts
Abby Bender / Schmantze Theatre's Membership Down! 5I5TER5 of The Ark, Collab Intensives and other new work
Abby Bender / The Comedy in Performance Festival
Blactina Media / Black Children’s Reading Corner
Blactina Media / Dorothy's Daughters: A Writing Workshop & Tea in Celebration of Dorothy West
Circuit Arts, Inc. / Spirits & Spirits
Circuit Arts, Inc. / The Martha’s Vineyard Film Festival
Circuit Arts, Inc. / The Vineyard's Drive-In at the YMCA
De Castro Borges, Marcia / Fulfilling Future Saudade
Edgartown Board of Trade / Christmas in Edgartown Live Music
Kate Feiffer / Islander’s Write
Friends of the Edgartown Free Public Library, Inc. / Sounds Like Summer: Music on the Lawn
Friends of the Up Island Council on Aging / Lion King at the Providence Performing Arts Center
Galaxy Arts MV, Inc. / Arts in the Parks
Gross, Lisa / Camera, Movement, Sound - A Multidisciplinary Workshop
Island Community Chorus, Inc / Guest Artists Enriching Island Community Chorus Performances
JR Creative LLC / Active Arts Movement Class for Daycares and Preschools
JR Creative LLC / Active Arts Summer Camp
Karalekas, Alex / Chilmark Community Potluck
Roberta Kirn / Winter Concert and Community Sings
Ladyfest MV, Inc. / LADYFEST MV
Martha’s Vineyard Agricultural Society / Mini Fair and Grow Zone: Building Out Family Education at the Agricultural Fair
Martha’s Vineyard Agricultural Society / Martha's Vineyard Agricultural Society Harvest Festival
Martha’s Vineyard Ballroom Dance / Local Off-Season — Dance & Music
Martha's Vineyard Center for Living, Inc. / Generations Together
Martha's Vineyard Center for Living, Inc. / Nature - Bringing Generations of Islanders Together
Martha's Vineyard Diversity Coalition (MVDC) / Martha's Vineyard Living Legends: BIPOC & Immigrant Elders Oral History Project
Martha's Vineyard Film Society, Inc. / 21st Annual Martha's Vineyard International Film Festival
Martha's Vineyard Film Society, Inc. / 12th Annual MV Documentary Week
Martha’s Vineyard Library Association / Summer Reading Kickoff
Martha’s Vineyard Library Association / Night Under the Rainbow Teen Pride Dance
Martha's Vineyard Playhouse, Inc. / Monday Night Movies
Martha’s Vineyard Preservation Trust / Independence Now & Forever: The American Revolution on Martha's Vineyard
Mintz, David / Recital Series: the Great American Songbook
Nelson, Elizabeth / Belly Dancing for Seniors
Rubin Brothers / The Rubin Brothers; A Continuing Legacy of MV's Jewish Cultural Heritage
Stillpoint / Unwind and Recharge: Student Wellness Curriculum
TBD Improv Company / TBD Improv Annual Cast Salary
The Great Pond Foundation, Inc. / Beach Seine Science Day
Lynn Thorp / MV Signs Then & Now - Basic MV Legacy & Sign Language Lesson Series
Town of Tisbury / Traditional Music for Memorial Day Picnic