ArtsHub

The ArtsHub is live!  Check out this online resource created in partnership with the Arts Extension Service, UMass Amherst, Franklin County Chamber of Commerce, Franklin County CDC, Western Mass EDC, and members of the Creative Economy Network with funding from the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts and the Mass Office of Business Development.

The ArtsHub is here to create opportunities for artists/creatives of any genre to be found, featured, and supported with resources, to grow their skills and their businesses.  Space on the ArtsHub includes opportunities to post jobs, studio/rehearsal spaces for rent (or wanted!), events and shared activities, and much more.  

To participate, individual artists and creatives, businesses, and nonprofit organizations are invited to create ONE profile that will first appear on the New England Foundation for the Arts website (see Creative Ground) and the ArtsHub will automatically pull you onto the ArtsHub.  The benefits of this arrangement are many!

  • First, that the work is done once, and benefits come from being simultaneously listed on both sites;
  • Second, features will be made only for those listed on CreativeGround/ArtsHub;
  • Third, once listed, artists are able to apply for NEFA grants; and
  • Fourth, the CreativeGround directory is supported by the NEA, the New England State Arts Agencies, and is now over a decade old, so the ArtsHub-NEFA alliance means that this is here to stay! Profiles are free!  Create your profile

If you have an event that you would like to post, whether you are a UMass student, emerging artist, or a professional performer, you are WELCOME to submit your event!
Want to know more about what is going on in the area’s arts?  Check out the Connect page and follow the link to Join the ArtsHub Community Facebook page!


The official launch of the ArtsHub tookplace at the ArtsHub Virtual Summit: “How To Recover and Thrive”, January 10-14, 2022.

The ArtsHub Virtual Summit: How to Recover and Thrive welcomed emerging and established artists, performers, arts managers, and those in creative fields to join in a week-long series of virtual interactive workshops, training, and networking sessions, January 10-14, 2022. The ArtsHub Virtual Summit, designed to provide tools to help those working in creative fields recover from the disruption created by the pandemic and learn how to position their business to thrive as the economy recovers, held daily sessions with guest speakers at 10AM, 12 Noon, and 6PM ET.


ArtsHub News:
On The Mark’s ArtsHub special with Dee Boyle-Clapp, Justin Beatty, Blair Winans and Sean Moloney was picked up as a featured video by the nationally syndicated BroadwayStars.com.


The Western Mass Creative Economy Network (CEN), is pleased to announce it has received a grant from the Massachusetts Office of Business Development (MOBD) for its Regional Pilot Project Grant Program. These funds will support the creation of the ArtsHub of Western Massachusetts.

The ArtsHub of Western Massachusetts will be a dynamic web-based portal to connect artists, residents, visitors, and creative businesses to promote regional commerce, networking opportunities, and collaborative business experiences. The ArtsHub will be a central location to find jobs, resources, and make connections for sales of creative goods and services. There is currently no place to find a list of area artists or other information critical for the success of the creative community.  This is an especially critical need as the creative sector has been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.  In Western Massachusetts, one-in-six jobs is directly related to the creative economy and the percentage of artists/creative businesses is higher than both the state and national averages. 

Check out this ArtsBeat radio interview on WKSB, in which host Mark Auerbach interviews Lisa Davol and Dee Boyle-Clapp about what you can expect from the new ArtsHub of Western Massachusetts.

" On The Mark" radio show, with host Mark Mark G. Auerbach appears WED Sept 8, 8AM on WCPC15 and 89.5fm/WSKB. UMass Arts Extension Director Dee Boyle-Clapp introduces a new arts hub project for those in the creative economy in Western Massachusetts, and Jay Pagluica talks about the impact of music on Westfield. Watch, Listen, or Stream

Check this space for calls for work!

Green image of the state of Massachusetts, with text reading "Creative Economy Network"
Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts logo
New England Public Media logo
Mass Cultural Council logo
New England Foundation for the Arts logo