Creative County

Creative County Creative County Initiative
Essex County Community Foundation
Essex County, MA

An Essex County Community Foundation project.

In partnership with the Barr Foundation, the Creative County Initiative (CCI) will invest more than $2 million in the arts, culture, and creative sector of Essex County over at least the next five years. Together with our communities, we are committed to supporting a strong ecosystem for arts, culture, and creative enterprise that is SUSTAINABLE, EQUITABLE, and ACCESSIBLE for all in our region. cr

eativecounty.org


The work of Creative County...
CREATES.....a regional voice for arts, culture, and creative expression in Essex County. PROMOTES.....transformative community and economic development. ELEVATES.....arts and cultural experiences that celebrate diversity, equity, inclusion, and access across communities. INVESTS.....in artists and the creative economy in an environment of rapidly changing demographics. CELEBRATES.....Essex County as a vibrant place to live, work, create and collaborate.

05/13/2026

🗓️ Our next Movies as Medicine *FREE* matinee screening is coming up next Monday, May 18!

Join us for an afternoon of cinema and connection featuring iconic classic films, one Monday a month. This month, we're screening the original Thomas Crown Affair, starring Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway!

Please register to attend: https://thecabot.org/event/free-matinee-series-2026-the-thomas-crown-affair/

Thanks to our supporters Beantrustcoffeebar Creative County & SeniorCare Inc.

05/07/2026
SAVE THE DATE! 🗓 Please join us on Wednesday, June 10th from 4-6pm in Amesbury for the celebration of the MVCulture proj...
05/04/2026

SAVE THE DATE! 🗓 Please join us on Wednesday, June 10th from 4-6pm in Amesbury for the celebration of the MVCulture project!

🚌 4pm Ribbon Cutting at the bus shelter on 54 Friend St, Amesbury, MA
🚌 Then walk over to the Reception at BareWolf Brewing at 12 Oakland St, Amesbury, MA

The even will include artist remarks and project visuals from:
🦋 Jenn Houle Studio - "Birds + Bugs by Bus"
🗺 - Arts & Culture Transit Map

Learn more about MVCulture: mvpc.org/cultural-planning

The 2026 grant funds have been fully distributed and our grant programs are now closed. Thank you for an amazing 2026 Gr...
04/28/2026

The 2026 grant funds have been fully distributed and our grant programs are now closed. Thank you for an amazing 2026 Grant Season! Now we get to look forward to attending all of the great things that our grantees create!

🎨 Visit creativecounty.org/grants to read about some of the projects that were funded

🖌️ And follow for grantee project updates!

04/22/2026

HWM matches Governor’s $27.35M Recommendation for Mass Cultural Council

CCI Grantee Events happening this weekend! 📅 Visit the tagged grantees to learn more about attending their events!1️⃣ Co...
04/18/2026

CCI Grantee Events happening this weekend! 📅 Visit the tagged grantees to learn more about attending their events!

1️⃣ Coka Mũciĩ by 2026 ALAANA Artist Grantee,
Saturday, April 18 from 4-8pm
at .ma

2️⃣ Homecoming by
Saturday, April 18 from 6-8pm
at 2026 Special Project Grantee, .art.museum

3️⃣ Amesbury City Hall Circus by 2025-26 Partnership Grantee,
Saturday, April 18 from 11am-3pm
at Amesbury City Hall

🎨 And learn more about what we do at by visiting creativecounty.org (or link in bio)

“This sixth group of ChangeMakers bring as much to the collective table as they will take away,” said Karen Ristuben, Pr...
03/16/2026

“This sixth group of ChangeMakers bring as much to the collective table as they will take away,” said Karen Ristuben, Program Director for Creative County, ECCF’s arts and culture initiative. “What they all share is a deep desire to connect with each other and to deepen their ability to serve their communities with arts and culture at the core.”

Read the Press Release: www.eccf.org/blog/2026/03/12/residents-selected-for-eccfs-creative-county-changemakers-program/

Learn more about ChangeMakers: www.eccf.org/arts-and-culture/

Our February meetup brought together artists, cultural leaders, and creative professionals from across Essex County — an...
02/14/2026

Our February meetup brought together artists, cultural leaders, and creative professionals from across Essex County — and the conversation was one we all needed to have.

We covered three open Creative County grant programs (funds are limited), new Mass Cultural Council opportunities opening March 3, advocacy resources from NEFA, and the upcoming Institute for Trustees. Senator Lovely joined to encourage everyone to show up for Creative Sector Day at the State House on March 3.

The creative sector is navigating real economic pressure right now. But what keeps showing up in these conversations is a community building solutions together — new collaborations, ambitious projects, and people investing in each other.
That's what these meetups are for.

Catch the recording of this meetup and past sessions at vimeo.com/creativecounty

Full recap with all links and community events in our latest newsletter

Next meetup: Wednesday, March 11 at 9 AM on Zoom. Register at bit.ly/CCIMeetup

02/04/2026

📢📢📢Calling all ! Join ECCF and M&T Bank to learn some proven negotiation strategies that can help you and your organization, whether you're securing funding, navigating board dynamics or building strategic partnerships. "Win-Win Leadership: Negotiation Skills for Nonprofit Success," part of the Nonprofit Consortium Workshop Series and featuring Chelsie Ouellette, founder and president of Ever Forward Collaborative, takes place on Feb. 5 from 8-10am at The Community House in South Hamilton. And it's completely FREE! We hope to see you there!
See the link in comments below for more info and to register!

02/04/2026

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Essex County, MA
01983

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