The Massachusetts Nonprofit Networkhas announced that 119 Gallery, an arts and culture organization in Lowell, has been selected as a finalist for the 2012 Nonprofit Excellence Awards. The Excellence Awards are given each year to outstanding nonprofit organizations and professionals in the Commonwealth as part of MNN's Nonprofit Awareness Day, a statewide holiday recognizing the nonprofit sector in Massachusetts.
119 Gallery has been selected as a finalist for the Nonprofit Excellence Award in Innovation for its innovative approach to serving young and emerging artists in the Lowell community. Faced with scarce staffing resources, 119 Gallery moved towards a decentralized programming model, inviting artists, emerging art professionals, and community members to be creative programmers. 119 Gallery effectively expanded the human resources needed to manage its programs and dramatically increased the number of individuals invested in the success of the community partnership. 119 Gallery found a unique solution to offering a creative outlet for over 500 artists from the Lowell and beyond and has provided the pivotal first step for many of these artists to launch their careers in the art industry.
"Our communities would not be the same without the work of the extraordinary nonprofits in the Lowell community,"said Dave Turcotte of UMass Lowell. "Finalists like 119 Gallery represent the best of an exceptional group of individuals and organizations serving the Commonwealth." 119 Gallery executive director, Setheyny Loeub-Pen said, "We are thrilled that our creative community's energy and efforts have been recognized at the state level and we hope our model can be replicated in other places across the Commonwealth."
Excellence Award finalists and winners are nominated by community members and their peers and are selected by an independent panel of nonprofit leaders. This year, MNN received 122 Nonprofit Excellence Award nominations.
"Nonprofit Awareness Day was created to recognize the essential role that over 25,000 statewide nonprofits, with nearly a half million employees, play in our lives," said Rick Jakious, CEO of the Massachusetts Nonprofit Network. "These finalists represent the very best of this critical sector."
Nonprofit Excellence Award Finalists and winners will be celebrated at the 2012 Nonprofit Awareness Day celebration on the morning of June 11 at the Massachusetts State House. Governor Deval Patrick, Senate President Therese Murray, and Speaker Robert DeLeo will all serve as Honorary Co-Chairs of the event and the event will be emceed by NECN Anchor Kristy Lee. For more information about Nonprofit Awareness Day and to register to attend, visit bit.ly/NPAD2012.
