News & Updates

Grant application released for 2016 Fort Point Channel Watersheet Activation Program

Jan 27, 2016

$40,000 in funding available for capital improvements and public programming


The Boston Redevelopment Authority and the Fort Point Channel Operations Board are accepting applications for this year’s Fort Point Channel Watersheet Activation Grant Program. Now in its fifth year, the program provides financial resources for capital improvements and public programming within and along the Fort Point Channel, as envisioned in the Fort Point Channel Watersheet Activation Plan. The plan was established in 2002 through a collaborative effort between the BRA, City of Boston, landowners, nonprofit and cultural leaders, and residents to encourage new cultural activities and year-round programming in Fort Point.

A total of $40,000 is available to organizations for the 2016 grant cycle, and applications are due on February 29, 2016 at 5:00 p.m. Applicants can request up to $40,000, but the BRA and the Fort Point Channel Operations Board have historically allocated smaller amounts to multiple organizations in order to promote a range of activities and improvements in the neighborhood.

The competitive grant seeks creative proposals for water-based programming in and around Fort Point that will benefit the general public, including such things as new water-based infrastructure, public events, art installations, and educational opportunities.

“It’s been our pleasure to work with the Fort Point Channel Operations Board and the broader community of Fort Point on this unique grant program over the last several years,” said Director of the BRA Brian Golden. “This is a great way to further enliven an already vibrant neighborhood by supporting creative ideas that residents and visitors of all ages and backgrounds can enjoy.”

To be eligible, an organization must be tax-exempt or operate under the fiscal sponsorship of a tax-exempt nonprofit. For-profit organizations may be eligible for funding at the discretion of the Fort Point Channel Operations Board if the project constitutes a not-for-profit, public project. Grant contracts are expected to be awarded by March 28, 2016, and projects must be completed by June 1, 2017.

Funding for the grants stems from the Chapter 91 Waterways Regulations License for Atlantic Wharf, a project developed by Boston Properties.

The following projects were funded in the 2015 grant cycle:

Greenway Echelman Sculpture
Applicants: Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy
Award: $10,000
The Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy commissioned an iconic aerial sculpture by internationally renowned local artist, Janet Echelman. The knotted-fiber sculpture was suspended more than one hundred feet over the Greenway’s Fort Point Channel Parks. Visually enhanced by dynamic lighting, the popular sculpture was visible day and night throughout the area and was on display from last May through October. 
 
Shimmer
Applicant: Claudia Ravaschiere and Michael Moss
Award: $8,000
Prior to last season, Shimmer had previously been displayed on a small section of the Congress Street Bridge to wide acclaim. With its re-launch supported by a Watersheet activation grant, Fort Point artists Claudia Ravaschiere and Michael Moss expanded the exhibition down thefull length of the bridge. A combination of fluorescent and jewel-toned Plexiglass panels was installed vertically between railings, refracting light to attract public viewing of the area.

Fort Point Channel Lunchtime Livery and Home Waters Program
Applicant: Hull Lifesaving Museum
Award: $8,000
The Hull Lifesaving Museum operated two programs on the Fort Point Channel last summer. The first, Lunchtime Livery, ran for its fourth consecutive year, and offered rowboat rentals in July and August. The second program, Home Waters, offered an experimental rowing education program for adults and youth. 

FPAC’s 2015/2016 Temporary Public Art Series on the Fort Point Channel & the Harborwalk
Applicant: FPAC
Award: $8,000
The Fort Point Arts Community produced two temporary art exhibitions last summer, one alongside the Fort Point Channel on the Harborwalk and another on the water within the "Art Basin." Both projects were developed and curated through juried calls to FPAC members and included free programming and activities for the public. 
 
Discovering Fort Point Channel (DFPC)
Applicant: “e” Inc.
Award: $4,140
"e" inc. offered six weeks of educational programming along the channel, five days a week, that engaged over 600 children from Boston’s community centers, summer camps, and Boys & Girls Clubs. The day-long programming included two science lessons, a rowing experience, art activity, and an ocean art installation for the waterfront.
 
Outdoor Activities at Boston Children’s Museum
Applicant: Boston Children’s Museum 
Award: $8,000
The Boston Children's Museum presented a series of family-friendly daytime and Friday evening programs and activities throughout last summer. Programs included three movies on the museum’s plaza over the course of the summer, a farmer’s market in conjunction with Waltham Fields Community Farms, a daily self-directed play with Music and Sand, and a temporary large-scale outdoor construction with Spaceship Heart. All of the projects were tied to educational goals of the museum. 
 
Free Theater on the Fort Point Channel
Applicant: Brown Box Theater Project
Award: $8,000
Brown Box Theatre Project offered free classic and contemporary productions, including The Taming of the Shrew and Boxer Shorts: an evening of short plays, beginning last summer and continuing into this spring.


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