SAC and Union

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

Recent monthly newsletters from the Somerville Arts Council have focused more and more on Union Square, but the one that came today has me genuinely upset. Every, every every project they're doing this fall is either in Union Square, or about Union Square. Many festivals and events, 100% of them in Union Square and I could have lived with that, but now a cookbook devoted exclusively to recipes using the foods of the markets and farm market of Union Square. Davis Square market and farm market products can now go rot, apparently.

If you haven't seen the newsletter, shoot me an e-mail and I'll forward it to you.

I'm supposed to be on one of their panels to review Somerville arts grant proposals next month, and I'm not feeling good about it. If I'm told to give preferential treatment to artists/groups from Union or any other specific neighborhood, I'm walking.

I am glad that Union Square is flourishing and growing, and I'm happy for the residents and artists who live there and are making it great. But a publicly funded arts council that is supposed to be promoting the arts throughout the entire city of Somerville should be promoting the arts throughout the entire city of Somerville, IMO. Do we need to form our own Davis Square arts organization?



EDIT: This matter got some clarification below. SAC received a grant that was specifically for Union Square, and they're using it now. They weren't removing focus from other neighborhoods.