Read What New England is Saying about CreativeGround

Flynn Center for the Performing Arts “Over the past few years, I have walked several artists through how to get their profile set up on CreativeGround and it’s been a breeze! I really appreciate that it’s easy for users to create or update a profile, even those who are not especially tech savvy. ”
CULTURAL ORGANIZATION OF LOWELL (COOL) “For several years in Lowell we’ve been discussing the idea of creating a directory of all the artists and cultural organizations in the City. When NEFA launched CreativeGround we realized that, not only could this serve as that directory for Lowell, but it had the added benefit of providing exposure to participating organizations and artists. By offering the ability for each individual to update and maintain their personal profile, CreativeGround also saved our organization a huge amount of work. Going forward, CreativeGround will serve as a very useful tool as we attempt to measure the size and breadth of Lowell’s creative economy.”
Peter Hussey “For any artist caught between the push and pull of creating your best work and getting it to the marketplace, CreativeGround may be the answer. By taking the short and easy steps that the CreativeGround website provides for making my profile, I now have a working footprint on the internet that makes it possible for me to share examples of my paintings without having to leave my studio. The staff assistance is really strong and the steps needed to create your profile are seamless.”
Simone Spruce-Torres “I am very grateful that NEFA has provided this directory that allows me to promote the work that I do at a local, regional, and national level. It is important for me to engage and broaden my audience. This directory is an additional marketing tool for potential customers to receive information about me, my skills, and my work.”
Mouli Pal Indian Classical Dance “I am extremely excited and optimistic about my CreativeGround profile which aptly showcases my lesser known traditional dance form and opens doors to connect with a wider network of possible presenters and collaborators. It took minimum time to setup and yet efficiently lists information about my background in a concise and user-friendly manner. I was also thrilled to be able to link my profile to all of my recent presenters, validating the the huge network already in place. I am looking forward to exploring this tremendous resource to reach out with the beauty and grandeur of Odissi.”
Rachel Sargent “I found out about CreativeGround through the Vermont Arts Council. It's hard to spread the word about what you have to offer as an artist, but this site gives people a one-stop spot to search for any artistic talent they might want. I also like the idea of an online arts community where artists and makers can help each other. For example, I have projects in mind that I don't have the skills to do entirely myself, but I can use the directory to find possible collaborators. And now other artists can find me if they're looking for a collaborator too!”
Maine Music & Health “Finally! A central location for arts organizations- both big and small- to find each other. We are all intertwined, performing musicians also working as teaching artists, etc., so it's wonderful to have a place to list all of those connections and make new ones. As a music therapist, it's important to find partners in a variety of settings and fields. Creative Ground's clean format is easy to search and simple to update. I am excited to find new people to collaborate with professionally and artistically. ”
VOCI ANGELICA TRIO “Creative Ground is a wonderful tool for any musical group, providing a free online profile and expanding the visibility and credibility of New England artists. We were eligible for NEST funding to perform at the International Festival of Arts & Ideas. This outdoor festival helped us spread our musical message to a broader audience. Creative Ground and the NEST grant made it possible for this well known organization to be able to invite us and pay our fee, benefiting everyone in the performing arts industry and the community that depends on us. ”
Sonia Plumb Dance Company “The CreativeGround website is a great way to promote your art and what you are doing, especially if you have a limited marketing budget. It allows you to put together all the important pieces of describing your work in a concise and easily accessible format for both the artist and the presenter. Photos, videos, venues that validate your work and experience. I love it!!”
CITY OF PROVIDENCE - DEPARTMENT OF ART, CULTURE + TOURISM “CreativeGround is essential for anyone curious about the region’s robust creative sector, whether to find the creative people and places in their community, or to connect with creative professionals from another state. I use it to point government officials, press, and constituents to the media, descriptive, and social network info on the Providence profiles.”
Arts Alliance of Northern New Hampshire “We’re excited about the launch of Creative Ground for all kinds of reasons. It represents a chance for all of us in the field to dig deeper, make more connections, and understand what our colleagues-artists, presenters, collaborators, and mentors- are doing and offering. For us as a small rural arts organization CreativeGround provides us the platform we need to search for artists to work with from a variety of backgrounds and genres all over New England. ”
GREATER HARTFORD ARTS COUNCIL “CreativeGround is NEFA’s virtual solution to connecting a six-state region the same way a conversation with a community colleague or a swing through your local coffee shop might. With everything in one place, CreativeGround is poised to be the central hub for arts organizations, funders, artists, museums, theater companies, dance troupes, musicians and more. Our favorite feature is “I Have Worked With…” Not only does this allow us to give a shout out to our amazing partners, but when browsing profiles you get to see the depth of connectivity and collaboration that is an integral part of the creative work going on all over New England!”
PUERTO RICAN INSTITUTE FOR THE ARTS AND ADVOCACY , INC. “The Puerto Rican Institute for Arts and Advocacy finds it a pleasure to work with CreativeGround in networking with other artists from New England. It makes it easy to find and connect with artists and bring them to Rhode Island for our events.”
SETH LEPORE “NEFA's new CreativeGround site is a great intersection for artists, presenters and cultural non-profits to find each other. New England is brimming with creative professionals and their supporters and to have them all in one place is a sigh of relief. CreativeGround is not only user-friendly and easy to navigate but it is also visually stunning. The layout of the comprehensive profiles organizes the content and helps users find the information they want quickly and with ease. I'm thrilled to be represented on this new and exciting platform.”
Springfield Museums “I was an avid user of matchbook.org for several years, and was excited to hear about it being converted into the new creativeground.org. I manage both adult and family programs for the very unique Springfield Museums. On countless occasions I have used the site to search for performers for family programs. By putting in a simple keyword it generates a great list of suggested performers. I have also used it to find someone to give a lecture. I always mention creativeground.org to new presenters and performers when they visit our Museums and tell them to sign up to be NEST eligible. It’s wonderful to such a valuable resource to help find talented local people.”
Gwendolyn Quezaire-Presutti “I am loving this website. The freedom to update anytime! I can stay in touch with colleagues and see what type of collaborations I can make in the future.”
DAN SNOW “A free, media rich, easy to navigate, online directory service available to the arts community of New England and beyond - what's not to love? CreativeGround offers an easy, step-by-step format for artists to set up and maintain a visually-rich profile with images and links to social platforms and external websites. Did I mention it's free?”
EASTHAMPTON CITY ARTS+ “CreativeGround takes that pesky reinvention of the wheel away from all of these small organizations and creative businesses who have been creating and maintaining clunky outdated databases since their technological existence. It’s user friendly and it expands our creative connectivity insurmountably. We should all join it!”
Frank Wallace “Creative Ground is so easy to use - I really had fun setting up my page and felt a deep sense of pride having my recent collaborations so prominent. It’s great to have a presence in an online community that is dedicated to art and to be able to update it so easily. Do I really need my own website? Many of us live in rural communities, and I think the promise of the internet as a connector has yet to be fully realized. CreativeGround is a major step in the right direction. Shall we dance?”
Wikepi Baskets “The CreativeGround site provides a nice complement to my artist website. Exposure for my art in the larger New England marketplace is so important for me now that I'm earning a living as a full time artist and consultant. I appreciate being able to proudly share my basketry as distinctly Native American. ”
Simon Brooks “Creative Ground is a great place to be seen and be found. I love the ease of updating my profile (it’s a lot simpler than my own website!), making it a go-to place for me. It is a great spring board for folks looking for talent, where potential patrons can look at your work, see who has hired you, learn about your methodology and skill sets. I also enjoy looking at other performers and presenters, especially those not in my own field. I find that people in other arts and disciplines can inspire me, give me ideas I might not have found or otherwise thought of. And I can also see what my fellow colleagues are up to; always nice to see people I like succeeding in their chosen field!”
Festival Ballet Providence “It was a pleasant and welcome surprise to find that mid-way through creating our profile I actually found myself having fun! I do so many of these online listings and I guarantee they are almost never fun. It was immediately and abundantly clear that CreativeGround was designed to embrace the rich diversity in the creative community by offering flexible and intuitive functionality within each category. I am so pleased to join the community and look forward to exploring its extensive resources and connecting with our peers and colleagues in the region.”