Southwick Cultural Council Tables Grant Repurposing, Adjourns Until September

SOUTHWICK -- May 21, 2026, Southwick Cultural Council adjourns for summer after tabling a grant repurposing request and reviewing a down-sales art show. At the May 21 meeting, the last regular session until September 17, the council reported balances of $7,427.75 in the state account, $9,386.35 in the local account, and $307.50 in the town account. Members described art show attendance as steady and on par with prior years but sales as near their worst, attributing the shortfall to inflation and reduced discretionary spending. A request by the Southwick Civic Fund's Joe Dede to repurpose a $1,000 movie-night grant toward the town's 250th anniversary fireworks and parade event, now tentatively August 29, was tabled because no written proposal has been submitted; the council agreed to convene an interim Zoom meeting to vote upon receipt of a proposal. Members also flagged poor road signage and a badly located historical society display as priorities to fix before the 2027 art show, noting that 25 years of past show posters were reprinted by Southwoods for $121.20 and will be permanently displayed in Town Hall.