NEA Grantee of the Day - Somerville, MA

(Part of an ongoing series that demonstrates how some of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Direct Grantees have influenced Monkeyhouse's growth.)

by Karen Krolak

City of Somerville, Massachusetts/Somerville, MA/$25,000 -
What the Fluff, indeed! You have to love a city that celebrates "the genius of Archibald Query" otherwise known as Marshmallow Fluff. Two and half years ago, Jason and I relocated to Somerville and we were lured in large part by its unusual smorgasbord of festivals and its commitment to the arts.

Somerville is one of a handful of communities in the Commonwealth that provides fellowship grants for artists and this year I was honored to be given one. There will be more on that in a subsequent post but for now I am just going to focus on a few of the ways this city inspires me on a regular basis:

1. Fruit trees and artists, e.g. Daniel Maher, and Mudflat Studios, sprout up around every major square.
2. Our mayor, Joseph Curtatone played trumpet in high school and launched a new Jazz Festival.
3. This city is teeming with talented choreographers including:Alissa Cardone, Emily Beattie, Nicole Pierce, Jody Weber, Wendy Jehlen, and Aparna Sindoor
4. Somerville Arts Council hosts Art Beat each July and the Illuminations tour in December.
5. Brass bands rule the streets during the Honk! Festival.