The Love Art Collective Inc. has secured funding to establish the Block Art Studio (BAS) in the heart of Mason Square, Springfield. The Black-owned and operated art and culture center, supported by MassDevelopment and the Mass Cultural Council, will serve as an incubator for youth, creatives, and visionary entrepreneurs. It aims to invest in the creative and cultural ecosystem of Springfield, fostering a vibrant and dynamic space for artistic expression. The studio’s significance lies in advancing the Black and Brown community of Springfield, providing diverse, equitable, inclusive, accessible, and culturally relevant opportunities for growth and sustainability within the city’s economic sector related to arts and culture.
As per the analysis by WWLP, The Love Art Collective Inc. (LAC) has received funding from MassDevelopment and the Mass Cultural Council to establish the Block Art Studio (BAS) in the heart of Mason Square in Springfield, Massachusetts. The LAC’s Cultural Facilities Fund Grant from the Mass Cultural Council and MassDevelopment amounts to $174,000, while its Transformative Development Initiative (TDI) Equity Investment program grant from MassDevelopment is worth $229,000.
The Block Art Studio is a Black-owned and operated art and culture center that aims to invest in the creative and cultural ecosystem of Springfield. It will serve as an incubator for youth, creatives, and visionary entrepreneurs, fostering a vibrant and dynamic space for artistic expression.
Jasper McCoy, Senior Business Strategist of the Love Art Collective and Managing Director of Block Art Studio, emphasizes the significance of the project, stating, “Block Art Studio reflects the potential of a creative community when expanding local neighborhood culture, talent, and business becomes a priority. BAS will be a landmark example to creative cities like ours, showing the sustainability of a cultural ecosystem where the creatives are given the res first.”
McCoy has collaborated with various stakeholders in western Massachusetts to strengthen the Springfield arts and culture community. He played a pivotal role in the formation of the Springfield Creative City Collective, which secured a $535,000 MassDevelopment Creative Cities Grant in 2022.
Tiffany Allecia M.Ed., Executive Director of the Springfield Creative City Collective, has been appointed as the Director of Creative and Cultural Development for the Block Art Studio. Allecia emphasizes the studio’s significance in advancing the Black and Brown community of Springfield, stating that it will provide diverse, equitable, inclusive, accessible, and culturally relevant opportunities for growth and sustainability within the city’s economic sector related to arts and culture.
The development of the Block Art Studio has garnered support from Springfield’s arts and culture executives, including Rosemary Tracy Woods, Executive Director of the Art for the Soul Gallery, who will serve as a consultant on the capital project. Woods expresses enthusiasm for the initiative, stating, “We enthusiastically support the Block Art Studio project by the Love Art Collective Inc.”
The Block Art Studio is a testament to the power of community-driven initiatives that prioritize inclusivity, diversity, and sustainability. As the project unfolds, it will undoubtedly inspire other creative communities to invest in the arts and culture sector, paving the way for a brighter and more vibrant future.
