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Essex County Community Foundation’s Creative County ChangeMakers program resumes March 30 with a new cohort of participants, including members from Haverhill, Methuen, Groveland and Lawrence.
Participants connect, form partnerships and leverage ChangeMakers grants to seed arts and cultural projects across Essex County.
“We are incredibly excited about this new cohort of ChangeMakers,” said Program Director Karen Ristuben. “Not just for their individual passion and advocacy for arts and culture, but also because we’re adding some really strong leaders to a growing network that understands the importance and power of thinking regionally and strategically about the ecosystem.”
Local 2023 ChangeMakers are Marisa Chaurest, adjunct faculty fellow, Northern Essex Community College; Erin Padilla, executive director, Creative Haverhill and Cogswell ArtsSpace, Haverhill; Jennifer Loiselle, chair of Methuen Cultural Council; Vanessa Lopez, director, Veasey Memorial Park, Groveland; Otto de la Cruz, independent artist, Lawrence; and Kelsey Duran, owner, KDuran Studios, Lawrence.
Others are Mitch Ahern, trustee, GAR Hall and Museum, Lynn; Cynthia August, president, Ipswich Art Association; and chair, Ipswich Cultural Council; Julie Barry, senior planner for arts and culture, Salem Planning and Community Development; Edwin Cabrera, Chair, Lynn Hip Hop Wall of Fame and founder, Lynn Music Foundation; Jerry Johnson, chair of the Theatre Department at Salem State University; and Jess Yurwitz, founder and owner, Slow River Studio, Topsfield.
The collaborative learning will be facilitated by Ristuben and Lisa Miller-Gillespie, president of the Lawrence Festival of the Arts, who is a graduate of the 2022 ChangeMakers program.