September 3, 2024 (Cape Cod, MA) – The Arts Foundation of Cape Cod will welcome Massachusetts College of Art and Design President Dr. Mary K. Grant to lead off its annual Creative Exchange Conference next month.
Dr. Grant will sit down with MassArt alum and Arts Foundation Executive Director Julie Wake for a fireside chat at the conference, which is taking place on Wednesday, October 23rd, 8:30 am to 3:30 pm, at the Cotuit Center for the Arts. To purchase tickets for the conference, click this link.
“The Cape is such a rich, creative community that fuels the economy in so many ways. That’s why people gravitate to it,” said Dr. Grant, who owned a home in Wellfleet prior to becoming the Chancellor at the University of North Carolina at Asheville, in 2015, a post she held for three years. “I’m delighted I’m going to have a chance to return to the Cape for this conference.”
She highlighted the critical role that artists can have in communities like Cape Cod. “They are creative problem solvers and make our communities more interesting, and bring us together during challenging times,” she said. “I like to think that when you put an artist or designer in any room, they are going to help solve the problems we are facing.”
Wake was excited to have Dr. Grant join her for a conversation that will touch upon everything from how arts can enhance communities to trends she is seeing in the next generation of creatives to ways to grow and expand the arts.
“As an academic leader who is passionate about supporting and elevating the arts, Dr. Grant will serve to inspire conference attendees about how we can embed arts and culture into all aspects of the Cape’s community to drive a thriving economy,” said Wake. “Dr. Grant has such rich experiences as a cultural leader that she’ll help us all think about ways we can use the arts to address important community and societal issues.”
Under her leadership at MassArt, Dr. Grant has forged ties between the college and Boston’s corporate and legislative community, deepened local partnerships, and strengthened its commitment to social justice. She spearheaded MassArt’s partnership with the City of Boston to offer free professional development opportunities to Boston residents.
The Arts Foundation is holding its second straight conference after the pandemic temporarily halted it. The event, which is open to artists, arts leaders, individuals working in the sector, and anyone interested in the arts, will offer workshops aimed at giving attendees the skills, tools, resources, connections, and education they need to grow personally and professionally.
Panels will cover a variety of topics, including how nonprofits can form meaningful public-private partnerships to further their work, peer-facilitated creative conversations focused on artistic growth, ways to collectively market the creative sector, and more. Panelists will include the Cultural Center of Cape Cod Executive Director Molly Demeulenaere, multimedia artist Brittni Ann Harvey of Fall River, Nichols St. Consulting CEO Brittney Nichols, Vervaine Creative Director Alison Parker, poet John Bonanni of South Yarmouth, visual artist and author Justin Hansen of Bourne, The Mosquito producer Vanessa Vartabedian of Truro, and more.
There will be live entertainment as well as lunch provided by Pizza Barbone in Hyannis.
The event will start with Wake’s conversation with Dr. Grant, who was tapped to lead MassArt in July 2021. Prior to coming to MassArt, she was the CEO for the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate in Boston. Dr. Grant was president of her alma mater, the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in North Adams, from 2002 to 2015.
She is the Vice Chair of the Board of Directors for the Norman Rockwell Museum, the Board Chair of National Campus Compact, Secretary of the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design (AICAD), a member of the Boston Public Schools Committee Nominating Panel, and a member of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce Higher Educational Leadership Council.
Dr. Grant has served on the search committee for the Commissioner of Higher Education of Massachusetts and been a juror for the prestigious Brother Thomas Fellowship.
Businesses interested in sponsoring the Creative Exchange Conference should email Amy Tuttle at atuttle@artsfoundation.org.
The Creative Exchange Conference is being sponsored by William Raveis Real Estate, South Shore Playhouse Associates, John K. & Thirza F. Davenport Foundation, the Cooperative Bank of Cape Cod, Wequassett Resort & Golf Club, the Donald C. McGraw Foundation, Eastern Bank, and Blick Art Materials.