By Creative Collective | May 3, 2025
On Thursday, May 1, Creative Collective attended the Alliance Policymakers Series event featuring Senate President Karen E. Spilka, hosted by the North Shore Alliance for Economic Development at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem. The event brought together North Shore business and community leaders for an update on Senate priorities and an engaging discussion on regional economic development.
At Creative Collective, we’ve always believed that our regional identity is one of our greatest strengths. This perspective was powerfully reinforced when Senate President Karen Spilka addressed the North Shore community at the Peabody Essex Museum this week, delivering insights on regional economic development, legislative priorities, and collective action in uncertain times.
Regional Identity and Equitable Resources
“I know what it’s like to feel we’re not Boston, but we send in a lot of money and we deserve and need resources as well,” shared Senate President Spilka, acknowledging a sentiment that resonates deeply with our creative community. As champions of local creativity and economic empowerment, we at Creative Collective have long advocated for recognition of our region’s unique contributions to Massachusetts’ cultural and economic landscape.
The Senate President’s commitment to regional equity aligns perfectly with our mission to foster vibrant, inclusive communities beyond the Boston metro area. Her reflection on creating Regional Economic Development Organizations, specifically to recognize that “regions know themselves better than Boston,” struck a chord with our community-centered approach.
Collective Action in Challenging Times
The unveiling of the Response 2025 initiative highlighted the importance of collaborative leadership and proactive planning. Just as our creative community comes together to navigate challenges, Senate President Spilka emphasized that Massachusetts will need to “advocate fiercely, plan wisely, and protect the progress” we’ve made as a Commonwealth.
This call to collective action mirrors the way our Creative Collective members support each other – combining passionate advocacy with practical strategy to ensure that our creative economy doesn’t just survive but thrives.
Investing in Our Future
The Senate’s focus on education, transportation, housing affordability, and healthcare reflects an understanding that these interconnected issues form the foundation of a healthy economic ecosystem. The announcement of substantial investments from Fair Share funds – including $100 million for career and technical education and $175 million for public higher education maintenance – demonstrates a commitment to developing the skills and infrastructure needed for future growth.
As a community that bridges creativity, commerce, and culture, we recognize that addressing these fundamental needs is essential for cultivating the next generation of artists, entrepreneurs, and community builders in our region.
The North Shore’s Moment
The Senate President’s anticipation of visiting the Salem offshore wind terminal as “a model for our state and our country” reminds us that the North Shore is positioned to lead in innovation and sustainable development. Her acknowledgment of our communities’ success in creating “vibrant, walkable downtowns” through transit-centered development affirms the creative placemaking work that many of our members contribute to daily.
Moving Forward Together
As we navigate economic uncertainties and potential shifts in federal support, Senate President Spilka’s balanced approach of both fierce advocacy and wise planning offers a valuable framework for our creative community.
At Creative Collective, we remain committed to leveraging our unique role as community builders and culture creators to strengthen our regional economy. By fostering connections between artists, small businesses, community supporters, and policymakers, we can contribute to building the resilience our region needs.
We invite our community to share thoughts on how our creative sector can best contribute to this vision of regional resilience. How might we use our creative problem-solving skills to address housing affordability? What role can our makers and artists play in workforce development? How can we ensure our cultural vibrancy continues to make the North Shore an attractive place for young people to live, work, and create?
Join the conversation by connecting with us through our membership programs, community events, or social channels. Together, we can ensure that the North Shore’s creative economy remains a powerful driver of regional identity, innovation, and growth.
Creative Collective builds community through creativity, collaboration, and connection. We empower our region’s creative economy to thrive, not just survive, by connecting creativity, community, and commerce.
About the North Shore Alliance for Economic Development
The North Shore Alliance for Economic Development serves as a catalyst for economic growth in the region by bringing together business leaders, community stakeholders, and policymakers. Their Alliance Policymakers Series provides valuable opportunities for North Shore leaders to engage directly with key government officials on issues impacting our regional economy. Learn more about their work and upcoming events by following them on LinkedIn.
Peabody Essex Museum
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The mission of the Peabody Essex Museum is to celebrate outstanding artistic and cultural creativity by collecting, stewarding and interpreting objects of art and culture in ways that increase knowledge, enrich the spirit, engage the mind and stimulate the senses. Through its exhibitions, programs, publications, media and related activities, PEM strives to create experiences that transform people’s lives by broadening
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