NEW DAWN Q&A:
Who is New Dawn Arts Center?
New Dawn Arts Center is comprised of volunteers interested in fostering the arts community in our town and greater region. It started with Founder, Abby Abbott, and is now an expanding, inclusive, and evolving group. Join us!
Is New Dawn part of the Church?
No. New Dawn Arts is a secular organization. Ashburnham Community Church unanimously voted to sell the property to New Dawn Arts in 2021, and both organizations have been working to accomplish that since.
Is the Church closing?
No. The Ashburnham Community Church will rent the space on Sundays for worship. They run a Small Church Collaborative, sharing a Pastor with Rindge Community Church, and continue to run the Food Pantry and Rainbow Circle Senior Dinners and other events.
When will the property sale be finalized?
The closing date is planned for January, 2024. Please join us for a ribbon cutting with the North Central Chamber of Commerce and celebratory handing-over event in mid-January, date tbd.
Are Synergy Dance Co. and Spice & Grain part of New Dawn Arts Center?
Synergy Dance Co. and Spice and Grain are for-profit businesses that pay market value rate to rent space. We consider them both important parts of our creative campus!
What is the Cultural Facilities Grant?
New Dawn Arts was awarded the Cultural Facilities Grant from Mass Culture Council, the state’s largest investor in the arts, in the amount of $107,000, to assist in acquisition of the historic property out of which we operate at 84 Main Street in Ashburnham, Massachusetts. This is a matching grant, meaning New Dawn Arts must raise $107,000 through donations and other applicable grants in order to receive the grant amount. The sale price of the property is $250,000. Please help us make the match! Donate at www.givebutter.com/fundnewdawn.
When will you have more classes/events?
Everything from building maintenance, fundraising, and programming is all run by volunteers- there is a lot to do and a lot being done behind the scenes! We aim to gradually increase all public programming as we expand our volunteer base, as we have since we incorporated. Starting with just a few drop-in classes, we now have concerts, theater, classes, art markets, art galleries, artist talks and receptions, an Arts Steward Training program, a mural and a 25 foot sculpture, a weekly writers’ workshop, open mic and visiting authors series, comedians and lectures, just to name a few things! With more resources, over time, we hope to have daily programming.
It seems like you use ‘New Dawn Arts’ and ‘New Dawn Arts Center’ interchangeably. Is there a difference?
The Center is a gathering space for the arts community, but we use the name New Dawn Arts to show that the work of the organization is not contained to a building but rather creates waves that ripple out into the town and greater region. We collaborate with many other arts, culture, nonprofit, for-profit, historical, Town, and State-level organizations in different ways. We believe the arts are a participatory experience that enhances the wellbeing of our greater community.