Cultural centers: linking Boston's diversity with heritage and history

Even in tough times, Greater Boston's cultural nonprofits thrive at honoring heritage.

By Joseph Normandin

People of Irish, Brazilian, Chinese, Italian, Haitian, Russian, Japanese, Ghanaian, Jewish, Indian and Greek descent all call Boston home--not to mention dozens of other ethnicities, The traditions unique to these cultures help to mold the makeup and vibe of each of Boston's 21 neighborhoods, from Allston/Brighton to Charlestown to Dorchester.

Ethnic restaurants, shops, markets and other businesses are all a visible part of Boston and its surrounding suburbs. But in not so detectable places like rented halls, renovated buildings and libraries, there are establishments striving to teach, perform and maintain the customs of a specific culture.

These establishments are known as cultural centers, and along with cultural organizations and associations, their mission is to connect Greater Boston to the cultures of its diverse people, and help immigrants and ethnic Bostonians stay in touch with their cultural heritage.

In the city of Boston alone there are over a dozen cultural centers, while Greater Boston boasts over 50. Almost all of these centers operate as nonprofit organizations, which means that donations and membership fees are needed to fund programs and services,. While the specific types of programs and services vary, almost every cultural center has at least one program dedicated to the arts.

The Greater Boston Chinese Cultural Association (GBCCA), located 10 miles outside of Boston in West Newton, celebrates traditional Chinese art on multiple platforms, offering over 10 Chinese arts-based programs. Programs ranging from Chinese brush painting classes to the Huaxin Arts School (where Chinese-American youth learn about their storied heritage by taking classes like Chinese folk dance, Chinese Go, and Kong-fu) to the Chinese Music Ensemble (pictured above) are offered at the GBCCA. The nonprofit also features a library with more than 10,000 books about Chinese culture, the Huaxin Chinese Language School, and the Chinese Cultural Outreach Program

Rob Watson, communications coordinator for the Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC)-- the state agency responsible for granting millions of dollars annually to over 1,000 nonprofit cultural organizations--believes cultural centers like the GBCCA are not only unique for "illuminating the cultural makeup" of the Boston area, but also for providing a forum where age-old customs can be maintained and commemorated.

"These cultural centers and organizations offer a one-of-a-kind opportunity to learn more about where you come from and about your ancestors," Watson said. "They fill a really important niche. I don't know who else would fill that niche."

To Michael Miner, director of development for the New Center for Arts and Culture, cultural centers offer a unique venue for artists, especially artists who are influenced by their cultural heritage or by a certain culture.

"They're [cultural centers] a vital way to showcase the heritage and the living representatives of what's going on within a given culture," Miner said. "So artists that are making art now, but come out of a certain tradition or cultural framework, have a place to be seen and celebrated, understood and debated, and exhibited and performed."

Tourism officials note that vacationers and visitors indicate interest in Greater Boston's cultural centers, yet that attention hasn't generated better attendance and higher revenues.

"When you look at statistics of the average tourist nowadays, you see that there is this really high interest in visiting places that are tied to ethnicity or a cultural center," said Chris Cook, director of Arts Education Outreach for the City of Boston's Arts, Tourism and Special Events Department. "Now, what we haven't seen is that translate into high numbers of tourists visiting these centers."

Cook added, however, that in the last couple of years certain cultural centers have revamped their attempts to attract these "interested" tourists.

"Places like the Irish Cultural Center of New England [pictured to the left] have been trying to market to tourists," he said. "Specifically, tourists who are interested in connecting with their culture. So I think we'll start to see those numbers go up."

But the state of the economy has put a chokehold on what cultural centers can offer, said Ann Wicks, marketing and communications manager for the New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA).

"Not all cultural centers are necessarily nonprofits and creative organizations are hardly immune to the current economic crisis," Wicks said. "I regularly hear news about cultural organizations around the country that are forced to lay off workers or decrease programming."

Despite the slumping economy and the uncertain financial future, Watson said numerous organizations have told the MMC that some longtime donors and members are trying to pick up the slack.

"We've heard from some cultural organizations that are seeing their core donors step up to the plate a little more," he said. "They're really committing to an organization that they care about and want to see survive."