The Newton Cultural Council held a reception at the City Hall War Memorial Auditorium Thursday evening, bringing city leaders and artists together to celebrate everything the arts do for the community and spotlight this year’s Massachusetts Cultural Council grant recipients.
The Newton Cultural Council is a municipally appointed committee—operating within the Massachusetts Cultural Council’s Local Cultural Council Program—that awards grants to artistic projects that contribute to Newton’s vibrancy, culture and creative spirit.
The grants are funded by the Massachusetts Cultural Council and the city. Forty-seven grants were given out in Newton this round. You can see a full list here.
The city began matching Massachusetts Cultural Council grant funds under Mayor Ruthanne Fuller, and Mayor Marc Laredo has continued that practice.
“Building community is one of the core principles of our administration,” Laredo said in his remarks. “It is vital, especially in a time of turmoil, difficulty, uncertainty and strife in this world—internationally, nationally, statewide and, occasionally, here in the city of Newton—it is so important that we come together for joyous, fun events that bring us together, that create laughter, that bring out our smiles, that make us feel good.”
Laredo created the city’s Arts and Culture Department when he took office in January, naming Meryl Kessler as director.
“His decision to create, fund and staff this new department, and the City Council’s unanimous support, sent a strong and clear message that Newton truly values the arts and culture,” Kessler said.
Kessler said the department has “exciting plans for arts and culture programming” that she’d share in the coming months. One of those is a new partnership with the Newton Free Library to launch a poet laureate program in the city. The mayor plans to announce who the first poet laureate will be in January.
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City and cultural leaders gathered with local artists for a reception honoring this year’s Massachusetts Cultural Council grant recipients on Sept. 17, 2026. Photo by Bryan McGonigle
Jennifer Sgroe of the Newton Cultural Council presents Newton Community Events and Programs Director Paula Gannon with a gift at a reception honoring grant recipients and the arts community on Sept. 17, 2026. Photo by Bryan McGonigle
Archana Menon, left, shown here with Arts and Culture Director Meryl Kessler, right is the newest staff member of the city’s Arts and Culture Department. Photo by Bryan McGonigle
Adrienne Hartzell Knudsen, director of The Allen Center, and City Councilor Alison Leary, right, attend the Newton Cultural Council’s reception honoring Massachusetts Cultural Council grant recipients on Sept. 17, 2026. Photo by Bryan McGonigle
(Left to right) Massachusetts Cultural Council Acting Executive Director David Slatery speaks with Newton Arts and Culture Director Meryl Kessler and Christina An of the New Arts Center at the Newton Cultural Council’s grant awards reception on Sept. 17, 2026. Photo by Bryan McGonigle
Anne Marie Stein of the Newton Cultural Council speaks at a reception honoring this year’s grant recipients on Sept. 17, 2026. Photo by Bryan McGonigle
Arts and Culture Director Meryl Kessler and Mayor Marc Laredo attend the Newton Cultural Council’s grant awards reception on Sept. 17, 2026. Photo by Bryan McGonigle