Creative Minds Out Loud

Jeffry George, Executive Artistic Director of the Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater, shares the pitfalls of NOT having a feasibility study in place before building a new facility. Jeffry George, Executive Artistic Director Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater (WHAT), has ​thirty plus years of ​administrative and management experience in numerous AEA theatres throughout the U.S.  He most … Continue reading "Episode 42: Oops, We Didn’t Do a Feasibility Study"

Elizabeth Devlin is an independent arts programmer, curator, and the force behind FLUX., an online resource for local artists and arts enthusiasts in Boston and beyond. She discusses her work connecting artists with spaces and audiences in support of a vibrant New England arts scene. Elizabeth Devlin is an independent public arts programmer, curator, writer, … Continue reading "Episode 41: Artists, Community in FLUX"

For 30 years, Angkor Dance Troupe has been a creative youth development leader in Lowell, MA, a city with the second-largest Cambodian population in the United States. Angkor connects families to what it means to be Khmer, gives young people opportunity, and shares beautiful stories of the Khmer people and their cultural heritage. Linda Sou … Continue reading "Episode 40: Ancient Dance Emboldens Youth’s Future"

Tony Beadle, Executive Director of Rockport Music, shares the trajectory of his organization from a 5-week chamber music festival to a year-round arts presenter now with its own signature performing arts center. Tony Beadle joined Rockport Music as Executive Director in February 2010. Under his leadership, he managed the transition of the organization from 5-week … Continue reading "Episode 39: A Performance Center with a View"

Marita Rivero is the Executive Director of the Museum of African-American History, New England’s largest museum dedicated to preserving, conserving, and interpreting the contributions of African Americans. She discusses what it means to be part of a cultural continuum, and how the arts and humanities can be used to reach across barriers to bring a richer dialog forward. … Continue reading "Episode 38: Championing Civic Empowerment Then & Now"

A thriving creative sector is one of our Commonwealth’s most powerful economic development assets. Morgan Drewniany, Executive Director of the Springfield Central Cultural District, shares their work in harnessing arts and culture for the future of Springfield. Morgan Drewniany is Executive Director of the Springfield Central Cultural District. She attended Hampshire College with a focus … Continue reading "Episode 37: Springfield Cultural District Fuels Downtown Growth"

Scott Fraser, Managing Director of the Jose Mateo Ballet Theater, discusses capitalization strategy. He says when arts & cultural organizations talk about what they need with the philanthropic sector, they have to be sure to include contingencies because the unexpected is going to happen. Scott Fraser has been instrumental in leading and sustaining Jose Mateo … Continue reading "Episode 36: Capitalization and Contingencies"

Vanessa Calderón-Rosado, Ph.D., is the CEO of IBA-Inquilinos Boricuas en Acción, a community development corporation dedicated to empowering individuals through education, workforce development, and arts programs. She shares IBA’s holistic approach to youth development and how the arts unleash the collective power and voice of the young people they serve. Vanessa Calderón-Rosado, Ph.D., is the … Continue reading "Episode 35: Rooted in Arts, Activism, and Social Justice"

Berkshire Children & Families (BCF), a social service agency serving Western Massachusetts, believes that partnering with families is the best way to promote healthy, happy children to make strong families and better communities. Carolyn Mower Burns, President and CEO, shared how through Kids 4 Harmony, an intensive classical music program for social change, BCF uses … Continue reading "Episode 34: Why is a Social Service Agency Running a Classical Music Program?"

The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum is honoring the 100th anniversary of the birth of JFK with a year-long celebration. Steven M. Rothstein, Executive Director of the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation, discusses the commemoration of this centennial year and reflects on the inspirational legacy of JFK in the arts, culture, and our … Continue reading "Episode 33: The Enduring Values of John F. Kennedy’s Presidency"

Fitchburg Art Museum is experiencing a renaissance. Director Nick Capasso describes how their commitment to community service – through organizational culture, programming, and partnerships – strengthens and grows the creative ecology of the city. Nicholas Capasso, Ph.D. is Director of the Fitchburg Art Museum, a community-oriented museum in Fitchburg, Massachusetts with art historical collections, changing … Continue reading "Episode 32: When Community Service is Hardwired Into a Museum"

Marinell Rousmaniere, Senior Vice President for Strategic Initiatives at EdVestors, discusses the Boston Public Schools (BPS) Arts Expansion Initiative, a multi-year effort focused on increasing access, equity, and quality of arts learning for all BPS students. Launched in 2009, this public-private partnership involves a large and coordinated network of partners, including schools, arts organizations, local … Continue reading "Episode 31: Collective Action Revitalized Arts Education in Boston"

Carole Charnow, President and CEO of the Boston Children’s Museum, shares how since 2012 the museum has provided reduced admission to visitors with an Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card, the first program of its kind in New England. For over 30 years, Carole Charnow has led cultural non-profits in the US and the UK, overseeing … Continue reading "Episode 30: Museum EBT Card Program Opens the Door a Bit Wider"

Giles Li is Executive Director of the Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center (BCNC), a social-services organization serving the community since 1969. He shares how BCNC uses the arts as a tool for community development, most recently in the creation of a new arts center. He says that right now Chinatown’s identity is maybe “stretching a little”, … Continue reading "Episode 29: Arts Center as a Platform for Community Development in Chinatown"

Enchanted Circle Theater is a community-based arts organization in Holyoke, MA, that works with students, teachers, and social services – in the mental health field, in the foster care world, everywhere and anywhere – using theater arts as a dynamic teaching tool. Executive Director Priscilla Kane Hellweg says they’re developing whole human beings, who can … Continue reading "Episode 28: Empowering Youth to Fix the World Around Them"