Worcester Arts Council staff told members the Worcester Art Museum is preparing a contract to offer sharply reduced venue rates for WACC-funded events and exhibitions in the next grant cycle, and that the council will seek outside funding to cover the remainder.

The council’s staff member, Meg, said the museum would "cut all the venue rental prices in half" for WACC-funded events and that she is meeting with the Greater Worcester Community Foundation to ask the foundation to cover the other half. "If I can get them to cover it, we're gonna have a...branding called, WAC at WAM," Meg said, describing a plan to make museum space more accessible to grantees.

Why it matters: Members said the arrangement could let grantees keep more of their grant awards by lowering venue costs and could strengthen ties between the museum and local artists. Meg said that if a partner covers the remaining half, some WACC-funded grantees would be able to use museum space free of charge.

Meg shared preliminary figures discussed in an internal meeting: she said a primary indoor opening area normally rents for about $3,000 and was discussed at roughly $1,500 under the proposed split; an outdoor-connected area that she cited as typically around $2,400 was discussed at $1,200 under the split; and an AV area she referenced was discussed at approximately $500 under the split. Meg emphasized these numbers were meeting estimates and not final contract terms.

Meg said the museum is actively seeking ways to bring community groups into the museum and that she will return to the council with the formal contract and branding materials for discussion before signing.

The council did not take a formal vote; members expressed general support for pursuing the contract and for approaching the Greater Worcester Community Foundation to subsidize venue costs.