Meryl Kessler is stepping into her new role as director of Newton’s new Arts and Culture Department with a focus on strengthening connections across the city’s arts community.
The department – and her position leading it – received final approval in the January 20, 2026 City Council meeting. Kessler told Fig City News that arts and culture should not exist on the margins of city life, but should be woven directly into how Newton functions and grows.
“I see this department as a connector between the City and the arts community,” Kessler said. “Here in Newton, we have a deep bench of local talent.”
Why now?
Newton is home to dozens of arts and culture organizations spanning disciplines from theater and music to visual art and dance, along with many independent artists.
“We’ve all witnessed the fractures and the divisiveness in society at large and even within our small community here in Newton,” she said. “Arts and culture is an important civic tool to bring people together, to encourage conversation, and honestly, to spark joy in the community.”
Kessler explained how during Mayor Marc Laredo’s 2025 campaign, one of the main themes that emerged was significant support for creating a dedicated arts and culture department. She said the Mayor shares the same view she has — that through a new Arts and Culture Department, not only can the community grow stronger, but it can attract and support local businesses in Newton.
She explained that the department will work flexibly across various departments in the city to integrate arts and culture into their operations.
The idea of a dedicated Arts and Culture Department has circulated in Newton for years.
In September 2021, the Patch reported that a team of students from the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University conducted an economic impact study that determined the arts and culture sector of Newton contributed $19 million to the Newton economy and facilitated greater well-being throughout the community. This prompted the City of Newton to conduct a feasibility study for a permanent arts and culture pavilion and further investigation into the possibility of a standalone department.
Kessler added that the department also aligns with broader City goals around community building and economic development, positioning arts and culture as both a social and economic driver.
Even before the department was formally approved, Kessler said she had begun laying the groundwork by setting up one-on-one meetings with artists, cultural organizations, and community leaders across Newton.
She described these early conversations as a way to listen first – learning what already exists, what barriers people face, and how the City can better support creative work without imposing unnecessary bureaucracy.
“I really see a big part of my role as bringing this community together and shining a light on what’s already happening here,” she said.
She said art helps people slow down in their everyday life.
“It encourages us to pause our daily lives,” she said.
She said those moments can create connections between residents who might not otherwise interact.
“It’s also an opportunity to turn to the person next to you, and talk about what you’ve seen and what you liked or might not have liked about it,” she said.
First-year goals
Looking ahead to the department’s first year, Kessler said success will not be measured by a single metric, acknowledging that arts and culture work often resists simple quantification. Still, she said engagement and accessibility will be key indicators of success.
She pointed to participation numbers, economic impact, and resident feedback as ways to assess progress, while also emphasizing the importance of long-term structural changes that make it easier for arts and culture to thrive in Newton.
She said that, in partnership with the Harvard Kennedy School, the department is hoping to add an internship in honor of former Mayor Setti Warren.
Kessler said she hopes arts and culture will increasingly appear in everyday, sometimes unexpected, places – from public art and street performances to design decisions embedded in infrastructure projects.
Kessler said there have been talks for a long time about an annual art summit that will bring together arts and cultural organizations as well as other creatives already working in the city to share ideas and resources with each other.
Kessler said she encourages residents to share their ideas, and the department will work to incorporate them.
