Your Personal Connection

The experience of art is a central, defining human activity. What personal experience with arts, culture, or creativity has had an impact on your life and your view of community?

Arts and Culture in the City

Newton is blessed with a rich mix of arts and cultural organizations. Please share two places where you have had personally significant arts and/or cultural experiences.

Addressing City-wide Issues

Can you provide examples on how you would integrate the arts, culture, and creative community in solving social problems such as planning for smart growth and development of livable communities in Newton? How do you see art and creativity providing meaning and fulfillment to the lives of Newton residents?

Arts Education and Programs for our Youth

The MA Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has pledged to update the Commonwealth’s arts education curriculum as well as report on access and participation in arts education in schools and districts. What will you do as Mayor to support arts education in the city’s schools and in our community?

The New Administration’s Role in the Creative Community

With the current national administration hoping to dismantle the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for Humanities, and our own State Legislature choosing not to increase investment in the Mass Cultural Council, we need local leadership on financial and policy support for arts and culture here in Newton. How you will address funding concerns in the following areas:

• What revenue sources will you create or use to increase the city’s financial investment in the creative community?
• How would you modify or expand the city’s current administrative structure to support the creative community?
• What are your highest arts and culture program priorities and how will you allocate resources for those priorities?

An Arts Destination

While Newton is in constant growth and change, the city has yet to fully leverage the strength of our arts, culture, and creative communities as a means for branding and attracting residents, employers, and visitors. How would you utilize the arts and creative community to make Newton a place where people want to live, work, play, and visit?

Your Priorities

The start of a Mayor’s tenure often sets the Administration’s tone and priorities. When elected, what actions will you take in your first 100 days to provide support and resources to the creative community?