A Holiday Message from Michael J. Bobbitt

A poem by Michael J. Bobbitt and Ann Petruccelli Moon:

The Year Behind, The Path Ahead

Greetings, friends, as the year draws near,
With two short weeks to end this sphere.
I pause to wish you peace, not strife,
And health to mark the new year's life.

What a year it’s been, a winding road,
With highs and lows in heavy load.
Accomplishments and trials we’ve faced,
In time’s great tapestry, all interlaced.

The future, a path we cannot foresee,
The past, a locked and rooted tree.
The present moment, sure and clear,
Holds lessons deep, to draw us near.

Two truths I share with steady hand:
Change will come, as grains of sand,
And culture thrives, its roots arise,
Resilient under Massachusetts skies.

I see you navigate, evolve, and grow,
In ways the heart and spirit show.
And here we stand, to lift your art,
Mass Cultural Council, doing its part.

Creativity, the key to bind,
Solutions vast for humankind.
Policies forged, support in place,
To make our state a vibrant space.

This year we gave to hands anew,
To organizations, artists too.
Equity led, as grants took flight,
To first-time homes, where dreams alight.

We mapped the breadth of cultural ground,
A sector vast, a treasure found.
The need is clear, the call resounds:
For funding vast, new sources bound.

Our team now drives advancement's reign,
To amplify the arts' domain.
With healing prescriptions, districts renewed,
And partnerships forged with goals imbued.

Policies crafted with care and might,
For arts to thrive in broad daylight.
Watch this space, the work unfolds,
The sector's future, bright and bold.

So pause and bask in all you’ve done,
In battles fought, and victories won.
Your work brings light to darkened place,
A kinder, healthier, loving space.

Together we’ll craft a year to adore,
A future rich with art at the core.
I thank you all, for hearts so true,
And look to 2025 with you.