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Centering Visual Artists in Local Business Partnerships

Dawn Heinen, Digital Communications Director

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graphic with a grid of 15 circles each filled with a different detail of an artists' work and the text Dig Into CreativeGround dot org

Creative entrepreneurs – artists, designers, performers, makers, and cultural innovators – are economic and community assets. They are business owners who generate revenue, employ workers, pay taxes, and strengthen our local and state economies.

Mass Cultural Council has been working to connect artists and entrepreneurs with business resources to help turn creative work into sustainable enterprises, strengthen networks of peers and partners, and expand opportunities for long-term growth.

We’re also working to build stronger connections between creative entrepreneurs and the broader business community.

As part of our “Bring Visual Art into Your Business” campaign with the Mass Restaurant Association and Mass Lodging Association, we’re creating more opportunities for artists by helping businesses find and partner with local creatives through a directory of more than 1,200 Massachusetts visual artists.

The directory is powered by CreativeGround, New England Foundation for the Arts’ (NEFA’s) platform that celebrates and reflects the vital work of artists, creatives, culture bearers, and creative organizations and businesses across New England.

Check out a variety of talented visual artists across Massachusetts!

CreativeGround is a community-generated and free tool that supports our region’s creative network. It’s the only searchable creative economy research database/asset map in the U.S. that is updated directly by the community.

On CreativeGround, anyone can search and contact the artists and creatives that make our communities thrive. Non-arts organizations and individuals both within and outside of New England use it to connect with collaborators, commissions, performers, grant recipients, and more.

By showcasing visual artists’ CreativeGround profiles on our site, Mass Cultural Council aims to amplify the vital work of creatives and help them reach a wider audience.

Visual Artists

Get Listed: If you want to appear in Mass Cultural Council’s visual artists directory, create a profile on CreativeGround. Folks at NEFA can help you get started.

Get Seen: Already have a robust profile? Nominate yourself for CreativeGround’s spotlight.

Watch a video on how to use CreativeGround as a visual artist and check out this tip sheet for visual artists.

Artists & Creatives in Other Disciplines

CreativeGround is a platform for artists, creatives, businesses, and organizations who work in all genres.

Mass Cultural Council regularly promotes CreativeGround – and the variety of disciplines it encapsulates – as a resource in our conversations within and outside of the cultural sector. (We just don’t currently feature those profiles on our site as they aren’t currently part of a cross-sector campaign.)

We encourage you to create a CreativeGround profile and receive the benefits of regional exposure as well as:

  • Visibility – Showcase what you do and with whom in your own words and with compelling work samples
  • Connection – Network with peers, potential supporters, and collaborators
  • Information – Learn more about professional resources in the creative ecosystem

CreativeGround is animated through marketing promotion, technical assistance, workshops, events, and strategic partnerships to share data and build capacity for New England’s creative economy.

NEFA has created numerous resources to get you started:

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