Newton Cultural Council distributes $64,000 to 47 grantees
Cultural Council · Meeting of September 25, 2026
Newton Cultural Council celebrates 47 grantees, unveils a new poet laureate program. Co-chair Anne-Marie Stein reported 90 applications requesting $186,000, with the council distributing roughly $64,000; the city's match to state funding rose to $40,000 for fiscal 2027. Mayor Mark Laredo and arts director Meryl Kessler, marking the Department of Arts and Culture's eight-and-a-half-month anniversary, announced a Newton Poet Laureate position, with applications open September 19 through October 16 and an inaugural appointee named in January.
New Art Center executive director Christina Ahn disclosed the nonprofit nearly closed amid a financial crisis when she took over in May, despite having served nearly 20,000 students since 2019 from over 390 zip codes, and said the organization is "officially in the green" ahead of its 50th anniversary.
In the full story:
- Who Was There
- Organizations And Documents Referenced
- The complete report — 2,220 words
Source: the Cultural Council meeting of September 25, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
Keep reading with a 30-day free trial
Subscribe to Newton News to keep reading this post and get 30 days of free access to the full post archives.
Starting a trial requires a payment method. After 30 free days your subscription begins at the price shown at checkout and renews automatically until you cancel. You can cancel anytime from your account. Subscription terms
A subscription gets you:
- Subscriber-only posts and full archive
- Post comments and join the community
- 24x7 access to local news