Singer-songwriter Dar Williams performs at the 2022 Essex County Arts & Culture Summit. Photo by Dana J. Quigley Photography

Arts leaders, live music, spoken word and more headline the 2024 Essex County Arts & Culture Summit on Sept. 27

Beverly, Mass – Vin Cipolla, president and CEO of Historic New England, and Harold Steward, executive director of New England Foundation for the Arts, are among the speakers and performers who will lift up the arts as a driver of community spirit and an equalizing force at the 2024 Essex County Arts & Culture Summit.

Essex County Community Foundation (ECCF) and Creative County, ECCF’s initiative to strengthen arts, culture and the creative sector across the region, will host the 2024 summit, the fourth of its kind, at The Cabot in Beverly on September 27, from 8am – 4pm. Hundreds of community, municipal and business leaders, artists and creatives are expected to attend.

The theme of the summit is arts heals, culture connects, and creativity liberates.  

“Our goal is to engage attendees in meaningful discussion about the critical role the arts play in physical and mental health and in bringing our communities together, and to inspire people to advocate for the sector’s sustainability and resiliency,” said Karen Ristuben, ECCF’s Creative County program director. “We’re really excited for the incredible lineup we have planned for the day.”

In addition to Cipolla and Steward, who combined have decades of arts advocacy, equity and civic leadership experience, the speaker line up includes local and regional leaders discussing exciting new arts initiatives, updates on ECCF’s Creative County Initiative and a panel discussion and Q&A focused on Creative Democracy and Advocacy. Moderated by artist and Methuen City Councilor, Eunice D. Zeigler, the panel will include:

• Brian Boyles, executive director of Mass Humanities
• Spoken word artist and advocate, Dariana Guerrero
• MassCreative Executive Director Emily Ruddock
• Andrew Zitcer, Drexel University professor and co-editor of the upcoming book Democracy as Creative Practice: Weaving a Culture of Civic Life.

“Arts and culture are so critical to how we, as a society, understand and respond to the challenges we face,” said Ristuben. “And when that ecosystem is strong, when everyone is able participate, that connectedness can serve as a foundation for us to collaboratively build a more just world. We’re really looking forward to the inspiration and ideas that this panel discussion will elicit.”

Attendees of the summit will also be treated to moving performances by:

• Combo Sabroso, led by pianist Matt Jenson, playing soul-cleansing Latin dance and reggae music.
• Cultura Latina, a nonprofit dance academy in Lynn offering instruction in salsa, merengue and ballet.
• January Gill O’Neil, an award-winning poet and associate professor at Salem State University.
• Loida Love & Nicholis King Joy, a mother-son duo who write and perform music that shifts the perception of people born with Down Syndrome.
• Buyile Narwele, a dancer from Nyanga, Cape Town, South Africa, focusing on AfroFusion, Neoclassical and South African Street Style dance.

“There’s nothing more satisfying and motivational about this work than being in community with so many of our Essex County friends and sharing in this awesome experience together,” said Stratton Lloyd, ECCF’s president and CEO. “The connections, ideas and partnerships that come out of the summit are so innovative and exciting, and something we are so proud to help foster across our region.”

Tickets to the 2024 Essex County Arts and Culture Summit are just $25. In addition to the amazing lineup of presenters and performers, tickets include breakfast, lunch and a wine reception. Register for the event at www.eccf.org/arts-and-culture-summit/.

If the ticket price presents a barrier to you or your organization, please contact k.ristuben@eccf.org.

About ECCF

The mission of Essex County Community Foundation is to inspire philanthropy that strengthens the communities of Essex County. We do this by managing charitable assets, strengthening and supporting nonprofits and engaging in strategic community leadership. In 25 years, ECCF and its growing family of 300+ charitable funds have granted $169 million to nonprofits, schools and students in Essex County and beyond. Our ultimate goal is to have 34 thriving cities and towns in Essex County and to improve the quality of life for the region’s 800,000+ residents. Learn more at eccf.org.