NEFA

We've received a $1 million grant from Mellon Foundation in honor of the leadership of our executive director Harold Steward! Harold recently led us through the development of our new strategic plan which affirmed our commitment to dismantling inequities, building authentic partnerships, and responding with agility to evolving needs. This support from the Mellon Foundation will have deep impacts on our ability to do that work.

Following a national search, we are elated to announce the appointment of Sara Nash as our inaugural Chief Impact Officer (CIO). Nash joins our executive team in driving the organization’s strategic plan implementation, evaluation, and storytelling across NEFA’s grantmaking programs and services, and work to reflect NEFA’s impact as the organization advances its 2025–2030 Strategic Plan, A Mission Forged in Collaboration.

We're happy to share that Women of Color in the Arts - WOCA has awarded senior program director, theater, Quita Sullivan (Montaukett/Shinnecock) a grant from its sabbatical fund to support a paid six-month sabbatical. We fully support this well-deserved time of rest and look forward to welcoming nákum back when they return November 2, 2026.

NEFA is proud to partner with Northeast Indigenous Arts Alliance (NIAA) on ways to serve the Native arts community in the region. Earlier this month, we co-hosted a Native Arts Networking Event at Ashawaug Farm in Ashaway, RI. Current and former NEFA staff were in attendance, including the director of NIAA, former NEFA program manager Dawn Spears (Narragansett/Choctaw). CreativeGround was there to provide profile assistance and more opportunity for connection and visibility for Native artists.

We believe that resources flow to what is known. Through visibility on CreativeGround, the region’s artists, creatives, culture bearers, arts and culture organizations, and creative businesses claim the impact of their work in their own words. With this labor properly represented on CreativeGround, our partners are emboldened through access to real-time, centralized data about their creative communities to strengthen the sector with the resources and support they need.

Join NEFA in this participatory research effort by adding your voice: get listed or give your profile a glow-up today!

Join us in welcoming Joaquin Irigoyen as our new communications and program coordinator! He first joined NEFA in February 2025 as an operations intern and will now support our communications and program teams as a full time employee.

This Sunday, May 3, join Cheri Opperman, senior grants manager, dance at The National Center for Choreography - Akron's Making Moves: Boston. This panel brings together arts leaders from across New England and the U.S. to discuss adaptive thinking and creative arts administration practices from a New England perspective and beyond.

Panel: Opperman, Jean Apppolon and Meg McGrath, Jean Appolon Expressions (JAE); Christy Bolingbroke, NCCAkron; Connie C. Chin, Global Arts Live; Shoni Currier, Bates Dance Festival; and Peter DiMuro, Dance Complex.

Our executive director Harold Steward met with Evan Johnston, deputy chief of staff for Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (ME); Kassandra Navarro, legislative assistant for Senator Richard Blumenthal (CT); and Karina Bravo, legislative correspondent for Senator Ed Markey (MA) to discuss shared goals and strategies. Together, we will cultivate a more collaborative arts and culture ecosystem that ensures access and shared growth and amplifies the impact of the arts as a force for civic health and systemic change.

Public art makers, admins, and advocates: join us on June 11 for the Public Art Impact Convening! We'll share preliminary findings from our public art impact report, put a spotlight on the powerful work of our grantees, and save time for attendees to be in dialogue with one another.

Registration link in comments ⬇️