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Cultural Council approves minutes, hears grant updates and welcomes new member as longtime member announces departure
Summary
At its April meeting, the Nantucket Cultural Council approved minutes from Feb. 10, received updates on the current grant cycle and outreach plans with the Mass Cultural Council, welcomed new member Kendall Graham and learned that longtime member Michael Kopko will resign. Two formal motions (approval of minutes, adjournment) passed by roll call.
The Nantucket Cultural Council on April 2025 approved its Feb. 10 meeting minutes, heard updates on the town cultural grant cycle and marketing plans with the Mass Cultural Council, welcomed new member Kendall Graham and was told one longtime member will step down.
The council approved the Feb. 10, 2025, minutes after a motion and second and a roll-call vote in which all voting members present voted yes. Council members then discussed the status of grant contracts, outreach tied to the Mass Cultural Council and a cultural-district promotional “lookbook.” Near the meeting’s close, member Michael Kopko said he will submit a letter of resignation to the select board because he will spend more time off-island.
The grant-cycle update said most awardees have received contract packets and staff are waiting for about four remaining recipients to return completed paperwork so checks can be issued. Council staff described a streamlined process with the town finance department using DocuSign to gather town signatures and expedite payments.
Dina Weatherly and other staff members briefed the council on outreach after the Massachusetts governor’s conference on travel and tourism, including contact with Michael Bobbitt of the Mass Cultural Council. Staff said Bobbitt indicated he is open to visiting the island and that the council hopes to invite him to this year’s grant award ceremony to discuss upcoming Mass Cultural Council grant-process updates.
Council members described development of a cultural-district lookbook and a visitor sticker program to encourage visitors to explore cultural venues; the program would distribute small stickers at participating sites and offer small prizes for visitors who collect them and return to the visitor services office. Barbara Tibbets and staff were listed as working on the lookbook.
Staff also reminded attendees that MA 250 programming and grants are available for cultural programming tied to Massachusetts’s 250th anniversary observances and encouraged local organizations to apply; the council noted its own cultural-district grant cycle is open and staff are available to help applicants with revised application sections intended to collect more program information up front.
New member Kendall Graham introduced herself, said she was born and raised on Nantucket and identified her current position as “editorial assistant” at INKI (as stated in the meeting). Graham also described personal interests in writing and music and said she is “really looking forward to being on the council.”
Near the end of the meeting, Michael Kopko said he will step off the council because he will be spending more time off-island and that the island theater property he had been involved with was sold to a new nonprofit that intends to continue operating it as a performance space. Kopko said he would send a resignation letter to the chair and select board.
The meeting included two formal roll-call votes: approval of the Feb. 10 meeting minutes and the motion to adjourn. Both motions passed with all present voting yes.
The council did not receive any public commenters who spoke during the public-comment portion of this meeting; staff noted the public-comment period remained part of the agenda protocol.
The council adjourned after a final roll-call vote.
