Interviewee: Sasha Lusovich In your own words, tell us about your business, organization, or initiative. CrimeStery-Fest is the much-needed immersive convention-style weekender for the True Crime and Mystery enthusiast where fans of this genre can come for a day, or the entire weekend, meet their favorite podcasters and authors, listen to educators and experts explain just how investigations work, as

Interviewee: Lauren Swift (She/Her) In your own words, tell us about your business, organization, or initiative. Sanazar Rose is a small art and jewelry brand dedicated to creating handcrafted sterling silver jewelry, art prints and stickers. Each piece is thoughtfully designed and carefully made blending traditional processes with modern alternative style. I am committed to using quality materials and symbolic

By John Andrews, Creative Collective MA Journee LaFond stood in front of a sold-out theater in Salem on Transgender Day of Visibility. They said, “I am planting the seeds of a forest that I’m not gonna see.” That was Day One of GRAYSCALE. There were still two days left, and already, the atmosphere felt transformed. I wrote the first version

Interviewee: Matthew Mattera (he/him) In your own words, tell us about your business, organization, or initiative. We are a family-owned and operated gourmet popcorn, ice cream, and candy shop. Our chef makes all of our popcorn in-house by the 5-gallon batch, keeping delicious ingredients, close attention to detail, and the highest standards in taste at the forefront. We can handle

Interviewee: Hannah Lonergan (She/Her) In your own words, tell us about your business, organization, or initiative. Mental Makeover is a nonprofit working to end the stigma surrounding mental health and empowering youth to talk openly about their emotions and experiences with their own mental health. Tell us a bit about you and why you do what you do. Share your

Interviewee: Rachel TonThat (she/her) In your own words, tell us about your business, organization, or initiative. We are a community group and small nonprofit working to build an AAPI community in the North Shore through social events, civic engagement, and collaborations with allies. Currently we’re an all volunteer staff, and if you are AAPI or an ally and have any

Interviewee: Meghan Zaklin, MSN, FNP-BC In your own words, tell us about your business, organization, or initiative. ECS Wellness was founded in 2017 by my late husband Ryan D. Zaklin, MD, MA, with a vision for wellness centered around supporting the endocannabinoid system (ECS). The ECS is the body’s master regulator, responding to internal and external stimuli and helping regulate

Nobody Asked for Permission: Six Open Arts Calls in Essex County Nobody is waiting for society to catch up. Honestly, society should be taking notes. Essex County’s creative community is already at least six moves ahead. A mural is going up inside Salem State. A gender-affirming fashion show is casting its runway. An inaugural fashion show is building its roster

Soundscape Visions Returns to Lynn Arts with World Premiere Audio-Visual Performances Artist-musician collective debuts three new compositions featuring electro-acoustic viola and collaborative work with Ukrainian children’s art studio Immersive Audio-Visual Experience Coming to Lynn Soundscape Visions, the artist-musician collective, returns to the Galleries at Lynn Arts on Friday, April 10, 2026, for an evening of live music and large-scale video

Mass Cultural Council 2026: Five Creative Collective Members Win Grants for Creative Individuals Essex County is showing up — and the Massachusetts Cultural Council noticed. We are beyond proud to celebrate five Creative Collective members named as Mass Cultural Council 2026 Grants for Creative Individuals recipients. These unrestricted $5,000 grants recognize Massachusetts artists, culture bearers, and creative practitioners advancing creative