Hadley Cultural Council Approves Grant Priorities, Schedules Two Fall Outreach Sessions

HADLEY — August 27, 2025 — Hadley Cultural Council approves annual grant priorities and maps out fall outreach to attract more local applicants. The council voted unanimously at its August 27 meeting to adopt its priorities list with two minor corrections to item six before submitting it to the Massachusetts Cultural Council, which had not yet posted this year's funding allocations — a delay members attributed to state and federal arts funding uncertainty. Members confirmed role assignments, with Crystal taking on a shared special-projects and outreach role alongside arts administrator Sarah, and Elizabeth, a Hopkins Academy senior, committing to upload backlogged meeting minutes to the town website going back to December 2024. Two public information sessions are scheduled: the Hadley Public Library on September 15 at 6 p.m. and the Hadley Senior Center on September 26 at 1 p.m. Fall business meetings will be held October 22, November 12, and December 10 at 7 p.m. Members noted the council has not been drawing enough Hadley-based applicants, with Crystal citing a new outreach contact at Hadley Elementary School's preschool program as one example of the gap the council is trying to close.