Our Mission

Gems @ The Arts builds community power through arts, culture, and authentic engagement. We create spaces where youth, families, and neighbors connect, celebrate, and lead — fostering creativity, belonging, and community in MetroWest..

About Us

Venues like Gems @ The Arts are a vital — yet endangered — resource for creative engagement and empowerment. Community-centered visual and performing arts organizations like ours are often the first introduction to the social, cultural, and economic possibilities within the arts. They are critical to fostering and sustaining a thriving creative economy within communities.

Gems @ The Arts approaches this responsibility through a community-first strategy. Our merged model expands beyond performances and exhibitions to include youth leadership, family enrichment, and resident-led engagement. This alternate approach empowers and directly serves community needs with creative tools, while ensuring that art remains a pathway to connection, opportunity, and joy.

Gems @ The Arts is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and we rely on your support to accomplish our mission! support to accomplish our mission!

Our Vision

We envision Gems @ The Arts as a vibrant community hub where people of all ages are empowered to create, connect, and grow through artistic expression, cultural traditions, and shared experiences.

We imagine a thriving community where creativity is embraced as a pathway to understanding, healing, social innovation, and opportunity. We encourage artistic practice, honor diverse voices, and uplift creativity within individuals, families, and neighborhoods. We recognize artists as storytellers, problem-solvers, and meaning-makers — and celebrate their essential role in building healthy, inclusive, and flourishing communities.

Our Values and Guiding Principles 

  • Access
    Access to creativity and the arts is a human right, not a privilege. Gems @ The Arts serves as an entry point for youth, families, and neighbors to explore self-expression, experience the arts, and share their creative energy.

    Community
    We honor the culture, creativity, resilience, and potential within our diverse neighborhoods. We strengthen connection by listening deeply, sharing openly, and centering the voices of those most impacted.

    Creativity
    Creativity exists in every aspect of life. It fuels discovery, meaning-making, problem-solving, and the imagining of better futures. We cultivate environments that invite curiosity, courage, and bold ideas.

    Collaboration
    Shared goals are achieved through shared action. We intentionally partner with residents, artists, and organizations to combine strengths and resources, while working collectively to dismantle barriers and systems of oppression.

    Empowerment
    We create opportunities for artists, musicians, youth leaders, and community members to thrive. By nurturing talent, investing in leadership, and aligning with existing resources, we strengthen systems of support and belonging.

    Inclusion & Equity
    We recognize that systemic inequities have excluded many from access to the arts and community resources. We commit to expanding inclusive opportunities, fair distribution of resources, and continuous learning. With integrity and responsive action, we work to ensure that creativity and connection are accessible to all.

Documents

  • Financials, 2016 (PDF)

  • Financials, 2017 (PDF)

  • Financials, 2018 (PDF)

  • Financials, 2019 (PDF)

  • Financials, 2020 (PDF)

  • Bylaws Approved as Revised 2021-0127 (PDF)

Header Photo: (C) Dave Sherbury, 2019