On Wednesday, Boston’s mayoral candidates made their pitch to the city’s arts and culture sector.
Mayor Michelle Wu, Josh Kraft and Domingos DaRosa attended a forum at Dorchester’s Strand Theatre moderated by Jared Bowen, host of GBH’s “The Culture Show.” The event, which drew approximately 350 attendees, was organized by arts advocacy group MassCreative as part of its Create the Vote Boston 2025 campaign. Mayoral candidate Robert Cappucci, a former police officer and businessman, did not attend.
In questions submitted before the forum, audience members were most concerned about funding for the arts and the threat of displacement faced by artists in an increasingly expensive city, issues that Mayor Wu addressed at length. Kraft, a philanthropist and the son of the billionaire Robert Kraft, emphasized partnerships with the private sector and the need for artists to feel “safe” expressing themselves. Community organizer Domingos DaRosa made a splash with impassioned speeches on behalf of Boston’s most marginalized…