About the ACC

The Amesbury Cultural Council is a volunteer municipal board, which means our operating procedures are closely linked to those of the City of Amesbury, as well as those of the Massachusetts Cultural Council. We are always looking for new members to help support our local arts community.

What We Do

The ACC is a Local Cultural Council (LCC), one of 329 LCCs throughout the state of Massachusetts. This program, established in 1982, empowers towns and municipalities to provide financial support to artists, creators, educators, and cultural influencers in their own communities. The Massachusetts LCC program is the largest of its kind in the country.

Cultural Grants

Our primary purpose is to award and distribute cultural grant funds provided by the State of Massachusetts to local applicants each year.

Amesbury Open Studios

We coordinate an annual city-wide tour of working artists' studios.

Poet Laureate Program

In partnership with the John Greenleaf Whittier Home and the City of Amesbury, we provide support for the Poet Laureate program and committee.

Art@City Hall

In partnership with the City of Amesbury, we maintain a quarterly art exhibit in the front lobby of City Hall. Shows are open to all local artists — you don’t need to be a resident to submit work!

Public Art Projects

We occasionally facilitate public art installations to enliven our City’s shared spaces.

2025 ACC Officers

Co-Chair
Ann has lived in Amesbury for 30 years. An artist at heart, she is deeply involved in the local cultural scene, having served as a member of the Amesbury Cultural Council for the last two years. She also has a studio in Amesbury, where she teaches painting and exhibits her work. In addition to her artistic pursuits, she formerly worked for Our Neighbors' Table, a local food resource organization, where she contributes to making Amesbury a food secure city. Her other hobbies include biking, gardening, skiing, and travel.
Co-Chair
Sally moved into her much-loved Amesbury home in January 2015, joined the ACC in Spring 2023. She’s a performing artist who fell in love with the theater while acting in a riveting 3rd grade Arbor Day play; thereafter, she managed to find a stage no matter where life – and the Air Force – landed her. Since settling in New England, she’s played many different roles, on stage and off, with a firm commitment to the arts and its power to bring people together.
Treasurer
Joanne is one of our newest members at the Amesbury Cultural Council, but has hit the ground running with her new role. She’s an Amesbury-based mixed media artist, who is still learning to embrace the process and explore the medium every day. She formerly served as the Director of Finance & HR at the Amesbury Branch of Our Neighbors’ Table, and is a long-time finance professional, volunteer, and board member.
Secretary
Laura DeVincent is the owner of Laura Kozlowski Photography, and, apart from volunteering with the Amesbury Cultural Council, dedicates her time to the Amesbury Chamber’s Women Envision Committee and for CEG at Jeanne Geiger. If she’s not photographing or volunteering, she’s most likely riding in the woods or playing ice hockey in the Haverhill women’s league. She also enjoys her garden, and anything that brings her outdoors. She and her husband live in Haverhill with their two cats.

Current ACC Members

Co-Chairs: Ann Johnson + Sally Nutt
Treasurer: Joanne Barnes
Secretary: Laura DeVincent
Margaret Leahy
Amy Vander Els
Bryan Riley
Rachel Wallace
Ellie O’Leary
Bailey Campbell
Kristen Costa
Bonnie Brady
Aimie Westphal | Library Director
Meghan Fahey | Head of Archives