Ashburnham Steward Program
What is a Steward?
Stewardship training is completed by attending the majority of the Sessions being provided. You will receive a certificate of completion at the concluding "graduation" celebration and you be empowered to act as a more engaged and informed member of your local community.
What is the Purpose?
The Steward Program has proven itself as an effective way to build and strengthen community. and bring greater awareness to a particular aspect of community development. This program can enhance our regions culture-based initiatives and connect with the wider energy & growth happening throughout Central Massachusetts.
Ashburnham fundraising Stewards
2024 Cohort
Presenters:
Kerry Flathers, Director of Development & Communications at NewVue Communities
Juliet Feibel, Executive Director, ArtsWorcester
Rebecca Wright, Deputy Director for Advancement and Administration, Fitchburg Art Museum
Meredith Geraghty, Vice President of Base Building Strategy and Fundraising, Codman Square Neighborhood Development Corporation
Jonathan Zlotnik, Massachusetts House Representative
John Henshaw, Templeton, Mass. Community Preservation Act Committee
Ashburnham Art Stewards
2023 Cohort
Spring 2023 Cohort:
April 26, 2023 to May 31, 2023
Wednesdays, 6:30 p.m. -- 8 p.m.
Facilitators: Abigail Abbott, Director, New Dawn Arts Center, Christine Regan Davi, Art Steward
Session 1 Building Community: Ashburnham Art Stewards with New Dawn as Host
Steward program overview, structure, history and goals:
Successes & Benefits: Panel discussion with Art Steward program leaders and graduates (Derek Craig, Francisco Ramos, Beth Robbins)
Why Ashburnham? New Dawn presentation
Session 2 Getting to Know Ashburnham's Creatives & Cultural Needs
Roundtable discussion with local artists with focus on accomplishments & future needs as they see it.
Session 3 Ashburnham's Creative Assets
Walking tour
In-depth look and planned tour of Ashburnham's current creative-based assets.
Session 4 Power of Cultural Alliances
Panel discussion (Jessie Olson, Executive Director, Fitchburg Cultural Alliance; Liz Murphy, Executive Director, Community Development & Planning, City of Fitchburg, Heather Coulliard, Chair, Ashburnham Cultural Alliance)
How do cultural alliances & related societies form and thrive? What are the secret sauce ingredients to success? What can Ashburnham learn from our surrounding communities?
Session 5 Funding & Getting Funded!
Panel discussion (Francisco Ramos, NewVue Communities; Rebecca Wright, Fitchburg Art Museum & Community Steward, representatives from the Ashburnham Cultural Council)
Tips and insights on how artists and organizations can get their work and projects funded via local/regional/state grants, as well as discussion of nonprofit revenue strategies.
Session 6 Reflections, Envisionings & Celebrations
Celebrate collective learning & community building, identify key takeaways, & begin envisioning first Art Steward project.
Christine Regan Davi
