Creative County

10/14/2026

Today at 9am, we're ZOOMing over to Amesbury for a podcast-style panel conversation with three people building Amesbury’s creative infrastructure from the ground up:

🎨 Kassandra Gove: Mayor, City of Amesbury ()
🎨 Bailey Campbell: Public Relations Chair, Amesbury Cultural Council ()
🎨 Catherine (Cat) Debrocke: Founder & Executive Director, The Center: Art + Community ()

🗓️ Join the conversation: bit.ly/CCIMeetup (or link in bio)

See you soon!

10/06/2026

Next Wednesday, we’re (virtually) heading over to Amesbury! We’re sitting down with three people building Amesbury’s creative infrastructure from the ground up:

🎨 Kassandra Gove: Mayor, City of Amesbury ()
🎨 Bailey Campbell: Public Relations Chair, Amesbury Cultural Council ()
🎨 Catherine (Cat) Debrocke: Founder & Executive Director, The Center: Art + Community ()

🗓️ Join the conversation: bit.ly/CCIMeetup
📺 Past recordings: bit.ly/CCIRecordings

10/05/2026

CCI had such a fun time at The Center in Amesbury's Ink for Impact - Steamroller Print Fest on Saturday! 👷‍♂️

On October 3rd, The Center hosted a large-scale community printmaking festival inspired by BIG INK's famous steamroller printing events, but with a distinctly Center twist. There were "giant prints, community collaboration, artists of all levels, families, workshops, hands on activities, live energy, and [it was an] unforgettable day where art literally [got] rolled over by a steamroller."

📅 Learn more about how the event went at our next (virtual) Meetup on Wednesday, October 14th via Zoom (link to join in bio)

And learn more about The Center: Art + Community:
- thecenteramesbury.org
-

09/28/2026

09/14/2026

TODAY /// Creative County Initiative (CCI) Program Director, Karen Ristuben, will be facilitating this panel on the creative economy this afternoon!

"This session brings funders and community leaders together as co-learners to examine creative workforce development as both an equity strategy and an economic competitiveness strategy. We'll surface what's working, identify where investment should go next, and explore how philanthropy — in partnership with educators, employers, and government — can help build a more inclusive creative economy for Massachusetts."

REGISTER: tinyurl.com/25x486wn (or link in bio)

09/09/2026

Tomorrow morning (9AM), we’re (virtually) heading to Lynn, where the City of Lynn is creating its first-ever Arts & Culture Plan! We’re sitting down with three people building Lynn’s creative infrastructure from the ground up:

🎨 Marysa Angelli - Arts + Culture Planner, City of Lynn ( ) /// building the plan with the community, not for it.

🎨 Tia Cole - Special Projects Manager, Creative Collective () /// what's happening on the ground in Lynn and how the pieces connect.

🎨 Doneeca Thurston-Chavez () /// a look inside The Studios' reopening and what a rebuilt creative home makes possible

🗓️ Link in bio for Zoom info

08/26/2026

Save the date for these CCI Grantees! 📅 Visit the tagged grantees to learn more about attending their events!
1️⃣ thru 9/6 at
2️⃣️ 8/26 by
3️⃣ 9/26 Little Ant Word by
4️⃣ 9/26 at
5️⃣ 9/26

🎨 And learn more about what we do at Creative County Initiative by visiting creativecounty.org

08/24/2026

There's been so much to celebrate this year at the Creative County Initiative (CCI) of the Essex County Community Foundation (ECCF), including the MVCulture project! This was a collaboration between CCI/ECCF. Merrimack Valley Transit and Merrimack Valley Planning Commission (MVPC).

📅 In June, we celebrated the culmination of MVCulture up to this point, which has included:
- Jenn Houle Studio's mural installations across MeVa's bus shelters in the Merrimack Valley ()
- Kate Delaney's Art + Culture Transit Map design ()
- Pilot program for Arts + Culture print and digital ads across MeVa's bus fleet

🐦🗺️🦋 and coming soon...
- Birds + Bugs by Bus environmental bus tours
- Ecosystem directional signage on MeVa's "lollipop" signs
- Printed brochure versions of the Art + Culture Transit Map for you to take along your travels!

📲 Visit our L i n k T r e e for more coverage and details on MVCulture and the celebration!

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.