Alexandria, VA – NAS announces the 20 fellows selected to the 2024-2025 cohort of Creative Community Fellows: New England. Designed to empower, support, and connect visionary cultural leaders driving transformative change throughout the region, Creative Community Fellows: New England is made possible by the generous support of Barr Foundation. Over the next eight months, fellows will engage in a tailored journey comprising both online and in-person activities to support their efforts to make New England a more inclusive and equitable place..
Fellow come to the program with a project that harnesses arts and culture and community partners to drive social or physical change. Projects this year include experiences centered on Black history and food storytelling to combat the loss of Black heritage on Martha’s Vineyard and Cape Cod, celebrating trans bodies through floral design in Maine, tackling the opioid crisis in New Hampshire through merging visual storytelling with harm reduction, a celebration of seasonal change, community, and the unique artistry in Connecticut, and more. Now a cohort, these inspiring individuals are coming together to enrich each other’s work through vibrant networking opportunities and the creation of a supportive community of practice.
Launched in 2018, Creative Community Fellows: New England offers a personalized learning experience for its participants. Fellows engage in online community gatherings to forge strong connections, as well as in-person retreats dedicated to concentration, creativity, and collaboration. They also participate in group coaching sessions with NAS Coaches to maximize their leadership potential and learn from each other’s unique backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. Additionally, fellows gain access to a stipend of up to $10,000 to offset the costs of program participation. Upon completing Creative Community Fellows: New England, the fellows will join the robust international network of NAS program alumni, providing ongoing opportunities for knowledge exchange and potential collaborations.
NAS congratulates the following individuals, selected for their exceptional projects that positively impact New England communities. Learn more about Creative Community Fellows: New England at www.artstrategies.org/fellows.
2024-2025 Creative Community Fellows: New England
Elaine Alder | New Bedford, MA
Jeanette Bradley | East Greenwich, RI
Jeanika Browne-Springer | East Hartford, CT
Matthew Cumbie | Waterville, ME
Sophie Davis | Rockland, ME
Bo Dennis | Monroe, ME
Jean Dolin | Attleboro, MA
Paul Gambill | Montpelier, VT
Anna Harris | Boston, MA
Alastair Huntley | Sunapee, NH
Jessie Laurita-Spanglet | Brunswick, ME
Shanta Lee | Manchester, NH
Guy Mendilow | Roxbury, MA
Cliff Notez | Medford, MA
Chisom Nwazojie | Stoughton, MA
Veronica A Perez | Westbrook, ME
Parker Silver | South Burlington, VT
Nydia Simone | Oak Bluffs, MA
Shelton Walker | Shaftsbury, VT
Karen Young | Roslindale, MA
About NAS
NAS strengthens the arts and culture sector by creating meaningful and useful educational experiences for leaders at all levels of the ecosystem – from boards and CEOs to entrepreneurs and artists – giving them the tools, connections and support to transform their leadership, their organizations and their communities.
We have worked with thousands of people to build management and leadership capacities in four decades of operation. Our model is to build connections that have a high level of trust and that are both deep and broad: we work closely with individual communities and connect local leaders with a broad and diverse network of likely and unlikely allies from across the globe.
Our approach brings concepts and frameworks from outside the sector to bear on the seemingly intractable problems that arts leaders face every day. We partner with faculty from top-tier universities who excel in both researching and teaching to deliver programs such as the Chief Executive Program, Creative Community Fellows, and the Executive Program in Arts and Culture Strategy. Learn more at www.artstrategies.org.
