We are proud to share RCA is a part of the Mass Cultural Council Card to Culture program, increasing access to arts programming for families receiving benefits from DTA, WIC and Health Connector.

Sliding Scale Program Fees at a glance:

Art Booster: pays the full program fee, and then some

Basic: pays the full program fee

Card to Culture: pays a discounted price / or donation on a give-what-you-can model *

*A set number of spaces are available in each program for EBT, WIC, and ConnectorCare cardholders; pre-registration online is encouraged but not required. Cardholders will receive 50-70% off of the program listing price. Check out the complete list of organizations offering EBT, WIC, and ConnectorCare discounts.

Read more on sliding scale payments:

Our programming serves populations of all ages and abilities, and every class, workshop, or course is offered on a sliding scale. Sliding scale pricing is a type of fee structure where people with fewer resources are responsible for paying a lower fee. Our base level of payments is typically an at-cost rate, and higher payment levels help cover overhead costs for the studio upkeep, pay our staff a living wage, as well as subsidizing art programs for folks who may not have disposable income to pay the full cost. Sliding scale payments are one way for RCA to play an active role in economic justice efforts, and make our offerings accessible to all socio-economic backgrounds.

Most of our programs do not require documentation or income verification for determining your program fee. We simply ask that you review the payment options and make the decision that is most comfortable for you and your family. When you are able to pay on the higher end of the sliding scale, your payment helps others gain access who might have a more challenging financial situation.

Whenever possible, we also try to implement a "reparations pay rate" where BIPOC staff are paid at higher rates than other staff, including their supervisor. This usually happens when we have the opportunity to request extra funding.

The Art is For Everybody Scholarship Fund

The Art is For Everybody Scholarship Fund (AESF) began in March 2022, to create a fund specifically to support youth and teens from low income homes looking to attend studio programs at RCA. We began with the first ever Doodle-a-thon Fundraiser on the Cottage Street Boardwalk on a rainy early spring afternoon, and raised $2,000. This support in combination with “camperships” from the Easthampton Learning Fund helped us welcome a new group of young artists in the summer of 2022, with 75% of our summer program participants attending on scholarship— and 96% of these youth were also BIPOC-identifying.

Today, the Art is For Everybody Scholarship Fund is supported by fundraiser events, local businesses and philanthropic sponsors, grant funding, and you! In 2023, our scholarship requests doubled in comparison to the previous year. Our goal is to maintain $8,000 in scholarship funds year round by the summer of 2024.

Would you like to support a young artist? Donate to the Scholarship Fund by clicking here.

Would you like to apply to the scholarship fund? Apply here.