Hadley Cultural Council Awards $5,700 to 25 Arts Programs in Tight Grant Cycle

HADLEY — December 10, 2025 — Hadley Cultural Council finalizes $5,700 in arts grants to 25 programs, three more than last year on $2,000 less funding. Meeting on December 10, the council completed a second round of deliberations on roughly 48 applications, confirming awards that range from $100 to $450 to programs at the Hadley Public Library, Senior Center, and community venues including Berkshire Hills Music Academy and the Porter Phelps Huntington Museum. Individual awards were held down by a budget that fell from $7,971 the prior year; one member noted "that's why they're so small." The council withheld new awards from Joshua Swift and Valley Arts Mentors, citing unsubmitted reimbursement paperwork from prior-year grants totaling roughly $1,500 still outstanding as of the meeting. A state grant report is due January 16, 2026. The council scheduled planning meetings for March 25 at 6:30 p.m. and May 13 at 6:00 p.m.