Join Us! CACP's Newsletter

The Center for Art and Community Partnerships (CACP) partners with people and communities within and beyond MassArt to radically expand access to transformative creative experiences.

Join Us! is our newsletter inviting our many communities to gather, learn, explore, and create together.

All CACP Newsletter events and exhibitions are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted.

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FEBRUARY 2026

SPOTLIGHT

Fern Cunningham-Terry Fund Awards Youth Scholarships

The Fern Cunningham-Terry Memorial Fund for Youth is pleased to announce the awarding of eight scholarships to local youth artists to participate in MassArt’s Saturday Studios program. Now in its 95th year, Saturday Studios serves learners in grades 3–12, offering a fun and supportive space to explore artistic passions while building skills, connections, and confidence.

Each semester, the program welcomes approximately 150 youth into the MassArt community. These scholarships help ensure that young people from Boston communities can access this enriching, artful learning experience. The fund is administered through sparc! the ArtMobile, a program of MassArt’s Center for Art and Community Partnerships (CACP).

Fern Cunningham-Terry devoted her life to creating monumental bronze sculptures of Black people—especially children—ensuring they would be seen, honored, and represented in Boston’s urban landscape. Her work celebrates youth, family, history, and culture, while affirming the transformative power of creativity.

Established by Fern’s family, friends, and colleagues, the Fern Cunningham-Terry Memorial Fund is the first MassArt endowed fund named for a local Black woman artist.

The youth awarded these scholarships demonstrate a strong interest in art as a tool for identity-building, social justice, and civic engagement. Fern’s 1972 work The Value of a Life, located at Jeep Jones Park in Roxbury, reflects her lifelong commitment to youth enrichment and creative opportunity—values embodied by these awards.

MAAM

Midnight at MAAM

Thursday, Feb 26 @ 9 PM - 12 AM

MAAM, 621 Huntington Ave, Boston

Nothing good happens after midnight…or does it? This February, MassArt Art Museum (MAAM)’s popular Twilight series goes late night to spotlight their current exhibition, Masako Miki: Midnight March.

Throughout the night, aerialists from Boston Circus Guild perform gravity-defying stunts suspended above Paine Gallery while live figure drawing models serve as inspiration for sketching alongside Makaso Miki’s colorful wool-felted forms.

Get creative with quirky projects in the Barkan Family Big Ideas Studio, enjoy a galactic-inspired mocktail that sparkles like the night sky, and don’t miss a special screening of the critically-acclaimed 2001 animated feature Spirited Away by Studio Ghibli sensation Hayao Miyazaki.

JANUARY 2026

SPOTLIGHT

SOUPER Bowl Making Day 2025: Creativity, Collaboration, and Community

There’s nothing quite like MassArt’s Ceramics Studio on SOUPER Bowl Making Day—tables full of clay, wheels humming, and a shared sense of purpose. Each year, CACP partners with the Clay for Change student group and our friends at Haley House to handcraft bowls for the annual Souper Bowl fundraiser, supporting their long-standing work in food and housing justice.

This year felt especially meaningful. In honor of Haley House’s 60th anniversary, we set an ambitious goal: 400 handmade bowls for the 18th Annual Souper Bowl in February. Seasoned ceramicists and first-time makers rolled up their sleeves, learning from one another and finding joy in the creative process.

CACP is proud to support this ongoing collaboration, where creative practice meets community and justice. We look forward to celebrating with Haley House next month!

To buy your tickets for Souper Bowl 2026 on February 15th at Hibernian Hall click here.

Photo Credit: Melissa Ostrow

Celebrating Community Engagement at MassArt!

Institutional Recognition and Program Excellence

We’re excited to share two national recognitions that highlight the depth and impact of community engagement at MassArt—one honoring the institution as a whole, and the other recognizing the leadership and work of the Center for Art and Community Partnerships (CACP) and sparc! the ArtMobile!

Earlier this month, MassArt received the Carnegie Elective Classification for Community Engagement, one of the highest national distinctions recognizing colleges and universities for institution-wide commitment to reciprocal community partnership. Of the 237 institutions receiving the Classification nationwide, MassArt is the only independent art and design college to receive the designation—affirming the College’s distinctive role in advancing the public good through art, design, and community-engaged practice. The classification is valid through 2032.

Alongside this institutional milestone, the CACP team and sparc! the ArtMobile were selected as one of five national recipients of Campus Compact’s Excellence in Civic and Community Engagement Programming Award. This honor recognizes outstanding program-level models that create deep and lasting impact. The award affirms sparc!’s place-based, mobile approach—rooted in listening, co-creation, and meeting communities where they are—creating accessible, intergenerational spaces where art fosters connection, wellbeing, and shared ownership. This recognition reflects the collective efforts of the full CACP team and our many community partners.

We are deeply grateful for the continued support of MassArt’s leadership and collaborators who make this work possible. Together, these recognitions underscore both MassArt’s institutional commitment to community engagement and the care, creativity, and collaboration that bring that commitment to life through programs like sparc!.

Photo Credit: Jenna Dolber

In Memory of Smiler Haynes

Smiler Haynes was a friend to people of all ages and stages. She was a dynamic personality who brightened up any room she entered. We were fortunate to have her as a part of our community of creative seniors.

She joined sparc! the ArtMobile for many hands-on creative endeavors including ART2GO, Paint Nights and Ornament making. Over the years we looked forward to her participation and words of encouragement and support.

Please learn more about her phenomenal life and her Memorial here.

YOUTH PROGRAMS

Saturday Studios

Registration: Jan 19 - Feb 15, 2026

Schedule: Saturdays, March 14 – May 9, 2026

(no class April 25)

Discover the exciting world of artmaking! Now in its 95th year, MassArt’s Saturday Studios offers students in grades 3–12 a fun and supportive space to explore their artistic passions. From painting and drawing to printmaking, ceramics, photography, and more, our diverse range of classes sparks creativity and inspires young artists of all skill levels—whether picking up a paintbrush for the first time or refining your craft.

Led by Art Education Student Teachers under the guidance of expert faculty, Saturday Studios is not just about learning art but also about building connections and discovering new possibilities. No prerequisites, no portfolio reviews—just bring your imagination and a passion for art!

Scholarships are based on financial need and are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

MAAM

Twilight at MAAM: Opening Party

Thursday, Jan 29 @ 6 - 9 PM

MAAM, 621 Huntington Ave, Boston

Celebrate the opening of the MassArt Art Museum (MAAM)'s newest exhibitions! Immerse yourself in a galactic world populated by mythical, wool sculptures in Masako Miki: Midnight March. And witness an enduring vision of equity, experimentation, and community in Press & Pull: Two Decades at the Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop. Enjoy complimentary beverages and small bites to round out the evening. It’s a party!

Missed out on our past events? Uncover our key highlights of the previous years by clicking the button below!

Past Year Events

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