From 2020-2022, The Artist Impact Coalition (AIC) formed as a group of community arts organizers dedicated to making North Adams an amazing place for artists to live and work. The initiative’s energy focused on providing resources for artists to live and thrive in the Northern Berkshires, especially in the wake of the pandemic. The work was funded by a 2-year Our Town grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Using the Collective Impact model – with its growing body of evidence in support of highly coordinated intervention strategies to achieve long-lasting change in the face of stubborn obstacles – the Artist Impact Coalition was made up of local artists, artist service organizations, and city staff, with MASS MoCA’s Assets for Artists program acting as lead/backbone partner responsible for fiscal management.

Read the New York Times article about A4A and the AIC

Many different efforts were either spun off or strengthened from AIC’s work, including a monthly newsletter containing artist resources and happenings, and a reinforced focus on community gatherings (quarterly meet-ups, First Fridays, and more). In addition to these ongoing initiatives, AIC funded $50,000 worth of artist projects. Below is a list of what AIC supported or accomplished during its time.