— About New Bedford Creative
New Bedford is one of the most creative cities in America — and not by accident. Since 2018, when the City adopted its first-ever Arts + Culture Plan, New Bedford Creative has worked alongside hundreds of artists, organizations, and small businesses to turn a vision into measurable economic and cultural growth.
New Bedford’s strategic Arts + Culture Plan was published in December 2018 and established a vision for the city’s creative community as a partner in social, economic, and cultural growth. Learn More
our direct investment
granted directly into New Bedford's creative economy
by the numbers
The creative economy New Bedford Creative supports, as measured in the 2024 Creative Economy Report.
direct creative-economy jobs
supported by New Bedford’s creative economy in 2022.
in direct revenue
generated by New Bedford’s creative economy in 2022.
creative-economy establishments
directly participating in the city’s creative economy.
%
of New Bedford’s civilian workforce
represented by direct creative-economy jobs in 2022.
The 2024 Creative Economy Report found that New Bedford’s creative economy included at least 599 establishments, generated approximately $300 million in direct revenue, and supported 3,370 direct jobs, representing 7.2% of the city’s 2022 civilian workforce.
what we’ve built
The direct work behind the numbers — funding leveraged, grants awarded, and districts where it all takes root.
leveraged per $1 of City arts funding
Every $1 from the City’s Arts, Culture, and Tourism Fund resulted in an additional $3.71 in philanthropic support for New Bedford’s creative economy.
artists, projects, and creative initiatives supported
Programs including Art is Everywhere!, Wicked Cool Places, ARTnet, and ARPA-supported cultural grants have helped fund artists, organizations, public art, neighborhood projects, and pandemic recovery efforts.
state-designated cultural districts
The Seaport, The Ave, and The Point are three state-designated cultural districts that anchor New Bedford’s creative neighborhoods and cultural activity.
The 2024 Creative Economy Report documents the $3.71 funding leverage figure, while New Bedford Creative’s grant programs page confirms ARTnet was created to help 100 artists recover from pandemic impacts.
Vision of the New Bedford Arts + Culture Plan
—
"In New Bedford, the creative community is an engaged and powerful partner, inspiring social, economic, and cultural growth. In this authentic seaport city, each and every person enjoys an opportunity to experience a diversity of cultures. Art is everywhere, encouraging fun, provoking thought, and nurturing the soul."
— funding
New Bedford Creative is housed at the New Bedford Economic Development Council (NBEDC), which holds a three-year agreement to manage the New Bedford Arts, Culture and Tourism Fund on behalf of the City. The work is led by the Director of Creative Strategies and a volunteer Creative Consortium, with staff support from NBEDC and the City's Departments of City Planning; Tourism & Marketing; Parks, Recreation & Beaches; and the Mayor's Office. Additional support comes from the Barr Foundation, Bristol County Savings Bank, Leonard & Hilda Kaplan Charitable Foundation, MASSCreative, Mass Cultural Council, New Bedford Cultural Council, Schrafft Charitable Trust, Southeastern Massachusetts Visitors Bureau, and the Creative Southcoast Initiative of the SouthCoast Community Foundation.
— our story
The New Bedford Arts, Culture and Tourism Fund was proposed by Mayor Jon Mitchell in spring 2016 and approved by the City Council that June. Funded by revenue from the city's lodging tax (capped at $100,000), it required a home rule petition through the state legislature — led by State Senator Mark Montigny and signed into law by Governor Baker in January 2017. The fund created a dedicated revenue stream for planning, programming, and administrative capacity, helping the City take full advantage of its cultural and tourism assets and grow these sectors in the years ahead.
— The People Behind the Plan
new bedford creative consortium
The New Bedford Creative Consortium is the leadership group overseeing the execution of the citywide strategic Arts and Culture Plan, New Bedford Creative: our art, our culture, our future. The plan is a huge step forward in building a thriving creative ecosystem in our city — and these are the people dedicated to implementing it.
volunteer members from across New Bedford's arts, culture & community organizations
Dr. Elizabeth Bettencourt
New Bedford Festival Theatre
Lee Blake
New Bedford Historical Society
Iva Brito
Iva Brito Consulting
Janet Coquillette
Retired consultant to nonprofit organizations
Suzanne de Vegh
New Bedford Art Museum
Darlene Spencer
Cape Verdean Association New Bedford
Laura Orleans
New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center
Allie Copeland
New Bedford Public Library
Rhonda M. Fazio
Interwoven, Dyer Maker Studio, La Rhonda Catering
Anthi Frangiadis
The Drawing Room, AHA! New Bedford
Paulina Fuenzalida-Guzman
Paulinarte, Love the Ave
Jeff Glassman
Darn It!, Hatch Street Studios
Dena Haden
Co-Creative Center, SuperflatNB, Seaport Cultural District
Mocha J. Herrup, Ph.D.
New Bedford Film Society
Angela Johnston
Bristol Community College
Viera Levitt
UMass Dartmouth College of Visual and Performing Arts
Erin Miranda
Waterfront Historic Area LeaguE (WHALE)
Lindsay Mis
Massachusetts Design Art + Technology Institute (DATMA)
Beatriz Oliveira
New Bedford Whaling Museum
Eric Paradis
Your Theatre, The Steeple Playhouse, New Bedford JazzFest
Penny Pimentel
Zeiterion Performing Arts Center
Dawn Salerno
Rotch-Jones-Duff House & Garden Museum
Patricia Thomas
Culture*Park
Samia Walker
M.A.N.S.A. Consulting
Zachary White
Gallery X
meet the staff
A small team housed at the New Bedford Economic Development Council carries the day-to-day work of the plan forward.
Margo Saulnier
Director, Creative Strategies
New Bedford Creative
A graduate of New Bedford High School, Margo Saulnier received her Bachelor of Music from Boston University, and a Master of Fine Arts in Performing Arts Management from Brooklyn College. Prior to moving back to New Bedford, Margo worked at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, the Boston Pops at the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Celebrity Series of Boston, and was a lecturer for Northeastern University's Music Industry Program.
In her role at New Bedford Creative, she manages the City of New Bedford's Arts, Culture and Tourism Fund, facilitates the implementation of the city's strategic arts and culture plan, and oversees the volunteer-led New Bedford Creative Consortium. She oversees the Seaport Cultural District and Arts & Culture Partners of New Bedford; participates on committees of AHA! New Bedford, ArtWeek SouthCoast, Greater New Bedford Youth Alliance, MassDevelopment TDI North End, SouthCoast Community Foundation, and Women's Alliance of Southeastern Massachusetts; and is a board member of the Southeastern Massachusetts Visitors Bureau.
Joined October 2017
Hendrick Hernandez-Resto
Creative Specialist
New Bedford Creative
A New Bedford native, Hendrick Hernandez-Resto is a musician, rapper, and producer. Fluent in Spanish, Hendrick has spent the last eight years in the health field, winning the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s 2018 Outstanding Community Health Worker award. He currently produces the Cyphers on AHA! Nights.
In his role at New Bedford Creative, he supports the Creative Strategist in the implementation of several projects to fulfill strategies of the city’s arts and culture plan. Currently, he oversees the promotion and administration of New Bedford Creative’s ARPA programs: ARTnet, Wicked Cool Places, and Art is Everywhere. He is the primary point of contact for grant recipients as they implement projects. He also manages the training series Peer-to-Peer Sessions (English) and Arte Entre Amigos (Spanish).
Joined July 2023
— Contact Us
new bedford creative
- 1213 Purchase Street 2nd Floor New Bedford, MA 02740
- 508.991.3122