BOSTON  -Thursday, June 16, 2016 - On Friday, Mayor Martin J. Walsh will launch the Boston Creates Cultural Plan at the Sheraton Boston Hotel.

Boston Creates is a ten-year cultural plan for the City of Boston that aligns public and private resources to strengthen cultural vitality over the long term and weave arts and culture into the fabric of everyday life. The plan identifies five strategic goals and calls for a cultural shift in the way city government and the private sector approaches and prioritizes arts and culture.

The launch of the cultural plan will include announcements on leadership and financial commitments from the City as well as the philanthropic sectors; new partnerships and initiatives that break down barriers to arts participation; and investments in the infrastructure that supports Boston artists.

The press conference will be followed by the Opening Plenary Session of the 2017 Americans for the Arts Conference, also at the Sheraton Boston Hotel.  Mayor Walsh will welcome the conference to Boston at 12:15 p.m.

WHEN:            Friday, June 17, 2016  11:15 a.m.

WHERE:         Sheraton Boston Hotel, 39 Dalton Street, Boston
                        Press Conference will take place in the Republic Ballroom

WHO:              

• Mayor Martin J. Wash

• Julie Burros, Chief of Arts and Culture, City of Boston

• Jim Canales, President and Trustee, The Barr Foundation

• Paul Grogan, CEO and President, The Boston Foundation

• Shaw Pong Liu, Boston Artist-in-Residence, Violinist and Composer 

About the Boston Creates Cultural Plan
The cultural plan was created out of a year-long community engagement effort designed to help the city identify cultural needs, opportunities, and resources and to prioritize, coordinate, and align public and private resources to strengthen cultural vitality over the long term. The Boston Creates planning process was funded by The Barr Foundation and The Klarman Family Foundation. The full cultural plan will be available online on June 17, 2016.
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