Northampton Arts Council Announces 2026 ArtsEZ Micro-Grant Recipients

Photo from Transformance 35 by Paul Griffin

The Northampton Arts Council is thrilled to announce the recipients of its latest round of ArtsEZ micro-grants. Fifteen exceptional projects spanning theater, music, dance, visual arts, and multidisciplinary community collaborations have each been awarded a $500 direct grant to support creative work across the city.

These micro-grants are designed to provide direct, flexible funding to local creators, ensuring that vibrant cultural experiences remain accessible to everyone in the Northampton community. From intergenerational storytelling to public street theater and inclusive art-making workshops, this year's grantees reflect the incredible depth and diversity of our local creative economy.

2026 ArtsEZ Grant Recipients and Funded Projects:

Theater & Performance

• Jay Sefton (Unreconciled Project) – Theater
  Supporting the production and development of Unreconciled, a powerful theatrical work exploring memory, resilience, and truth.

• Trudy Williams – Theater
  Funding for Northampton History in Tales and Tunes, an engaging project blending local history with storytelling and live music.

• Mykell Walton (SPEC Collective) – Theater
  Supporting the production of Big, Little, All of Us: All We Can Carry, an evocative performance exploring themes of shared human experience and emotional weight.

Music

• Joey Baron (Dream Up Consulting) – Music
  Funding for Four Roads to Freedom, a musical initiative designed to engage audiences through powerful storytelling and composition.

• Carolyn Abbe Smith (Northampton Jazz Festival) – Music
  Supporting the landmark 2026 Northampton Jazz Festival, a signature downtown event celebrating world-class jazz music and community connection.

• Edo Mor (Secret Planet) – Music
  Providing vital support for the Secret Planet Music Series, which brings diverse, global, and avant-garde musical talent to local stages.

Dance & Movement

• Tori Lawrence (Tori Lawrence + Co) – Dance
  Supporting the development of the Pink Noise Gallery Installation, an immersive project blending site-specific contemporary dance with visual art.

• Mikayla Archambeau (Amherst Ballet) – Dance
  Funding for Dancing in the Library, an innovative community outreach initiative bringing the beauty and expression of ballet directly into public library spaces.

• Francesca Baron (Francesca Baron Dance) – Dance
  Supporting the choreography and production of Collective Effervescence (Working Title), an exploration of movement, group synergy, and shared joy.

Visual Arts

• Courtney Fappiano – Visual Arts
  Supporting Devotions to Survival, a visual art project exploring resilience, adaptation, and identity.

• Gayla Berry – Visual Arts
  Funding for Monoprinting — A Shared Art-Making Workshop, an inclusive printmaking experience designed specifically for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their caregivers.

Multidisciplinary Arts & Community Alliances

• A.C. Weaver (The People's Puppet Parade) – Multidisciplinary Arts
  Supporting The People's Puppet Parade Presents: Fall Holiday Street Theatre!, a vibrant, large-scale public spectacle designed for the autumn season.

• Kiran Jandu – Multidisciplinary Arts
  Funding for Window Peace - Playback, a collaborative performance project that uses playback theater techniques to build community dialogue and empathy.

• Kimberly A. Keough – Multidisciplinary Arts
  Supporting Working Title: Triptych: Three Generations of Creative Writers, a cross-generational literary and creative arts project exploring evolving perspectives across timelines.

• Diane Porcella (Northampton Neighbors) – Multidisciplinary Arts
  Funding for Across the Generations, a major collaborative project connecting Northampton Neighbors, The School for Contemporary Dance & Thought, and the UMass School of Public Health & Health Sciences to foster deep intergenerational community ties.