Dig into New England's Free Directory
of Creative Enterprises and Artists
Winter 2020 Newsletter
Ripple Effect Sculptural Community Garden in Everett, MA photo by Carolyn Lewenberg
When I was one, I had just begun.
When I was two, I was nearly new.
When I was three, I was hardly me.
When I was four, I was not much more.
When I was five, I was just alive.
But now I am six, I'm as clever as clever.
So I think I'll be six now for ever and ever.
~A.A. Milne

Happy 6th Birthday to CreativeGround! This year was filled with discoveries that have led to a 2020 (and beyond) vision for this fertile community. Thank you for being a part of what makes CreativeGround and the creative economy of New England so special.
Read on for fun facts and figures, upgrade updates, featured profiles, and upcoming opportunities.
Reflecting on the Seeds of Year Six
Year six had the CreativeGround team dreaming big about what this community can achieve in the future, and you kept us grounded by demonstrating what a fertile creative community we currently have here in New England.

Read on for some fun data points that the team has harvested from the community garden of CreativeGround in the last year – such strong roots for us all to deepen and grow together.
"Molecules of Music_Data" by Ellen Hackl Fagan . ink, graphite, acrylic, nail polish, enamel, gouache on clay board
On the CreativeGround with Michael Sakamoto
Dig up the latest dirt in our "On the CreativeGround with..." blog series! This month, Michael Sakamoto shares his experience as an interdisciplinary artist active in dance, theater, performance, photography, and media. Currently the Associate Director of Programming and Director of the Asian Arts and Cultures Program at the  Fine Arts Center at UMass Amherst , Sakamoto also serves as an advisor for NEFA's  National Dance Project
Ohno Yoshito's portrait of Michael Sakamoto
Featured Profiles
Helpful Hint/Tech Tip
Does the media on your CreativeGround profile show your 2020 vision?
  • Having images on your profile is vital to attracting attention. We recommend that you have at least three images in your Image and Video Gallery, in addition to having a top profile image of you or your organization in action.
  • Pro tip: do NOT use a headshot or a logo for your top profile image, it is not as enticing as an action shot. Check out the Featured Profiles above for great examples!
  • Working in a medium that isn't photo-friendly? You can still share your work. Writers can include a video or photo of you doing a public reading of your work, or an image of your book.
  • Pro tip: Use the URL Collection section of the profile to link to publications that have included your work, or even link to articles that review your work- a testimonial to why someone would want to hire you. These will show up under the Additional Links header on your public profile view.
  • Accessibility is for everyone. Do you use Alt Text? Alternative text is a few descriptive words that you enter with an image and is used by screen readers, by search engines, and when the image cannot be loaded on a webpage.
  • Pro tip: Add alt text to your images to improve accessibility and search engine optimization by clicking on the EDIT button next to the image in the Image and Video Gallery, and adding a simple description of what you see when you look at the image.
  • Psst... Remember to click SAVE when you make any of these updates to your profile!
Screenshot of a CreativeGround Profile EDIT view highlighting the Image & Video Gallery, clicking on EDIT next to a photo to add Alt Text, as well as highlighting the section below the gallery titled, "URL Collection"
Resource Round up
Regional
National
an antique chair twisted sideways with ornate fabric and fibers in whimsical patterns tied around the chair holding it together.
Real Art Ways seeks entries for the Real Art Awards by 03.31.2020
Image: RI artist and 2019 recipient, Shannon VanGyzen
NEFA's monthly opportunities blog lists upcoming regional and national deadlines, including grant opportunities from New England Foundation for the Arts.

State Arts Agency Grant Deadlines

large crowd at a conference wearing yellow lanyards and cheering
National Grant Deadlines:


Resources of Note:


* If you're an artist with NEST eligibility, update your profile by February 21 to retain eligibility; see our recent CreativeGround eblast for more details. *
CONTACT
Morganna Becker (she/her/hers)
Program Associate, CreativeGround
CreativeGround@nefa.org | 617-951-0010 x535
A project of the New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA), CreativeGround is brought to you through ongoing partnerships with the National Endowment for the Arts, the Connecticut Office of the Arts, the Maine Arts Commission, the Massachusetts Cultural Council, the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts, the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts, and the Vermont Arts Council.
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