Sizzling winter arts

By Steven Froias

In spite of the lingering pandemic, New Bedford’s sizzling creative sector continues to set a blistering pace of return value to the community

.New Bedford Creative, the umbrella for all things arts and culture in the city, and managed from the office of the New Bedford Economic Development Council, issued an impressive series of announcements throughout the autumn that reflected the dynamism of the sector. Combined with the effects of its ongoing initiatives, it all adds up to a healthy investment in the arts and the continued dominance of New Bedford as a creative community. For the second year in a row, New Bedford was selected as the recipient of an Art Is Everywhere grant. Meanwhile, #NBcreative’s own funding program, Wicked Cool Places, continued to support local artists and programmers throughout the city. New Bedford Creative was also selected as the lead partner on a year-long training and grant program supported by the Barr Foundation.

Creating connection

The funding will support a program that is part of a national Creating Connection initiative directed by Minneapolis-based Arts Midwest. The effort will draw on data-driven strategies to support New Bedford organizations in messaging the value of the creative sector to the city for residents and visitors alike. “Once again, the inspiring work of New Bedford artists and cultural trailblazers is being recognized by the Barr Foundation, and now the respected Arts Midwest national organization, for its ability to positively impact and transform the city,” says Margo Saulnier, the Creative Strategist for the city. Now in its sixth year, Arts Midwest’s Creating Connection is a research and messaging initiative that helps creative organizations connect their messages and programs to existing community values. It aims to help expand audiences and support for the arts by helping organizations deepen relevance and learn new messaging strategies. The program has supported organizations across the country in this work, including in-depth training and investment in 10 Massachusetts-based arts organizations between 2016-2019. “Thanks to the solid foundation we’ve laid in New Bedford, the creative sector is ready to embrace this new opportunity to blaze a new path into the future for the benefit of the entire city and regions,” says Saulnier. “Being part of Creating Connection will enable more residents to realize their potential and support their efforts to bring more arts, culture, and creativity to every part of this city.

Art is everywhere

If you drive up Acushnet Avenue in New Bedford’s North End, or walk along the street, you’re likely to see something new and very colorful. Thanks to Art Is Everywhere funding, artists partnered with businesses along the Avenue to create a new story trail for children. In all, five businesses boast new public art on Acushnet Avenue which tell stories through murals and enhance the visual appeal of the streetscape. The Southcoast Learning Trail was organized by the New Bedford Birth-3rd Partnership and The Southcoast Coalition for Early Childhood Education. Kathy Treglia, Community Liaison for Little People's College, helped bring the project to life and artist Tracy Silva-Barbosa helped manage the creation of the artwork. The team writes, “Learning Trails are fun, interactive ways for children and families to engage with their community. The Southcoast Learning Trail on Acushnet Avenue features six local artists and five businesses in an artistic exploration of The Basics: five fun, simple principles that every family can practice to give every child a great start in life.” The Southcoast Learning Trail was one of six projects which received Art Is Everywhere funding through the #NBcreative framework. “Art is Everywhere” is one component of the “TDI Creative Cities” initiative in Massachusetts, which includes areas of leadership training, place designation, and partnership development, all intended to strengthen the creative economy and arts ecosystem. All the projects represent the determination to engage the entire city in a new dialogue that reaches into every neighborhood and community within it.

Wicked cool places

Wicked Cool Places (WCP) is the City of New Bedford’s grant program for making or keeping a place where things are happening and people want to be. As this issue goes to press, applications for this year’s awards are being accepted. Guidelines include arts and culture-based solutions to expedite the recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, support the everyday spaces to see anew the potential of parks, waterfronts, plazas, neighborhoods, streets, markets, campuses, and public buildings. Facilitated by New Bedford Creative and the NBEDC, and funded by the city of New Bedford’s Arts, Culture, and Tourism Fund, this grant is one component of implementing the city’s firstever strategic arts and culture plan called New Bedford Creative: Our Art, Our Culture, Our Future. In past years, WCP grants have been awarded to a wide variety of projects all over the city. The Community Economic Development Center in the North End received an award to launch “Festival Tipico de Guatemala,” a day-long celebration of Maya-K’iche Guatemalan arts and culture, for example. At West Beach in the south end, the popular Reggae on West Beach received funding from WCP and made a triumphant full summer schedule return this past year. Downtown, two projects launched with a WCP grant – AHA! New Bedford’s first-ever LGBTQ+ Pride month, and BuyBlackNB’s first-ever “Black in Business: Outdoor Pop-Up Market.” “The use of a Wicked Cool Places grant award to brighten or enlighten our city is only limited by the imagination of creative people in New Bedford,” says Saulnier. “So far, they have proven that they possess an unlimited amount of creativity despite any challenge we collectively may be facing as a city and society.”