MEMBER SIGN IN
Not a member? Become one today!
         iBerkshires     Berkshire Chamber     MCLA     City Statistics    
Search
North Adams, MCLA Seek Votes to Turn Colegrove Park Into Musical Destination
By Tammy Daniels, iBerkshires Staff
03:55PM / Thursday, November 05, 2015
Print | Email  

MCLA and the city of North Adams are pursuing a grant to make Colegrove Park a musical destination next year. Register to vote online here.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The city and MCLA are hoping to "AMP" up the local music scene with a series of free concerts next year.

But to get them, the wider community will have to prove it's behind the idea in the most democratic way — by voting.

Berkshire Cultural Resource Center, the cultural outreach arm of Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, is spearheading the attempt to gain a $25,000 grant from Levitt Pavilions, a non-profit foundation that supports free, destination-making outdoor concerts.

The Levitt AMP Music Series was first launched in 2014 to help smaller communities rejuvenate public spaces. The top 25 online vote-getters are whittled down by the foundation to 15 finalists.

In a video, Levitt Foundation's Liz Levitt Hirsch says the focus of the grant is "taking undertulitized public spaces and turning them into welcoming destinations."

BCRC Director Jennifer Crowell said the grant availibility was brought to the city and college's attention earlier this summer.

"Obviously, both of us felt is it was a great opportunity," she said. The grant would cover booking fees, equipment and site preparation, so there would be no cost to concertgoers. "We really wanted it to be free to the community."

The grant would have to be matched by $20,000, up to half of that as in-kind donations. The effort also includes partners Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, the Northern Berkshire Community Coalition and North Adams Chamber of Commerce.

The target site is the long-neglected Colegrove Park. The area has been recently spruced up in connection with the renovation of the former Drury High School on the hill above it, a school that now shares the park's name.

Colegrove, named for Jeremiah Colegrove, had been a cemetery until cleared for a public park in 1904. The park had a bandstand at one point and was used for public events at a time when the downtown population was much denser.

It also served as the entrance to the former high school with a series of steps and terraces leading up the hill. That entrance off Church Street was discontinued when the building became a middle school and the steps deteriorated. With the century-old school's newest transformation as an elementary school, the hazardous steps were removed and the lower decorative concrete walls are being restored.

Mayor Richard Alcombright has said he'd like to see the area be restored as a public park and used similar to a town common with events such as concerts.

The grant application refers to the potential of Colegrove and music as a way to bring a divided community together.  

"As a centrally located and free ten-week family friendly series, Levitt AMP North Adams offers an opportunity to bring high-caliber musicians to a public space, removing any income or psychological barriers and exposing all residents to a global perspective they would not otherwise encounter."

Crowell is working with the city's events coordinator Suzy Helme in getting the word out. There is no plan at this point for what types of professional musical performances would be hosted; Crowell said that would wait until after finding out if they actually get the grant.

"It stipulates that they want cities focusing on a diverse program, but what that program looks like is really up to you," she said.

There are 40 proposals from across the country vying for a grant; North Adams and New Bedford are the only two from Massachusetts.

Voting began Nov. 3 and runs through Nov. 30. With little fanfare so far, North Adams is sitting at No. 7. Crowell encouraged sharing with friends and colleagues and classmates who may have moved from the city.

"Voting interest to a degree shows your community is invested and wants this and proves you have the ability to pull this off," she said. "It's not limited to only people in the city but you can only vote once."

 

0Comments
More Featured Stories
NorthAdams.com is owned and operated by: Boxcar Media 102 Main Sreet, North Adams, MA 01247 -- T. 413-663-3384
© 2011 Boxcar Media LLC - All rights reserved