The fifth annual Historic New England Summit, taking place next month in both Haverhill and Beverly, explores forces reshaping the cultural landscape and the future of communities.
Organizers said the summit, Thursday and Friday, Nov. 12 and 13, at The Cabot in Beverly, and Saturday, Nov. 14, in Haverhill, examines some of the most pressing questions facing the fields of preservation, architecture, urban planning, law and policy, museums, libraries and archives, philanthropy, education and public art.
“The Summit is an opportunity to look beyond the traditional perceptions of preservation and learn from people who are trying new things in their fields,” said Historic New England President and CEO Vin Cipolla “The challenges facing our communities do not fit neatly into disciplinary categories. By bringing together people with different expertise, experiences and perspectives, we can have a more productive conversation about how history and preservation can help us build more livable, resilient and connected communities.”
The Summit opens with a conversation between Jorge Zamanillo, founding director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Latino, and Shanita Brackett, acting director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture. They explore how major cultural institutions can build and sustain relationships with the communities they serve.
Panels follow, such as “A Fracturing Reality,” discussing “the increasingly fragile nature of information and the role of libraries, archives and records management in preserving trustworthy evidence and shared narratives; “A Bauhaus Bathroom,” moderated by Cipolla, about Historic New England’s international competition to design a new public restroom at Gropius House in Lincoln; and “Beyond the Mission: What Does the Public Need from Cultural Institutions Now?
Friday brings “New Frontiers in Public History, Place, and Power” and a spotlight on the new Historic New England Center, which opened this past June 2026 in downtown Haverhill as the first publicly accessible space in Historic New England’s emerging collections and cultural campus.
“The Summit is intentionally forward-looking,” said Carissa Demore, vice president and chief policy director at Historic New England. “We’re interested in people who are not just continuing established models, but are asking what comes next—whether that means rethinking how a museum engages its community, how a city understands its historic resources, how public art can create meaningful participation or how preservation can respond to the realities communities face today.”
Attendees travel Saturday, Nov. 14, to Haverhill for hands-on programming centered on the Historic New England Center and surrounding community. Activities include an artist workshop, a visit to the nearby Museum of Printing, a community scavenger hunt and a behind-the-scenes look at Historic New England’s collections and conservation work.
A full schedule is online at summit.historicnewengland.org.