Art about town

The Danforth joins the Framingham Farmer’s Market

Mary Erickson, in her new role as community engagement coordinator, has been attending the Framingham Farmers’ Market every other Thursday and the Natick Farmers’ Market for several Saturdays. Mary says it’s been great to meet all sorts of people with connections to the Danforth and stories to tell. Also, she’s been introducing the Danforth to people who do not know about us and people who still didn’t know we had moved.

Mary Erickson (right) with collections manager, Rachel Passannante, at the Framingham Farmer’s Market in August.

Mary Erickson spearheaded the Danforth’s inclusion in this year’s Mass Cultural Council UP program. The Universal Participation (UP) Initiative aims to activate the aspirations of the Americans with Disabilities Act to break down the barriers that prevent full and dignified participation in Massachusetts’ cultural sector. From January to May 2022, Mary and Collections Manager Rachel Passannante attended zoom lectures around themes of inclusivity and access, programming, and challenges faced by diverse groups and individuals. Each participating group then chose a project based on their organization’s needs or goals; Mary and Rachel chose to develop an All-Access Guide. This pictorial guide is designed for those on the autism spectrum or with high anxiety to learn about the Danforth, see where we are located, how to access the Museum, and what they will see and do while visiting. As we learned in our UP Learning Initiative, designing for accessibility doesn’t just help people with disabilities, it helps everyone.

Did you know:

This year the Danforth Art Museum was nominated for best art museum in both Best of the Best Metrowest and FM Quest for the Best! We’d like to thank you for all of your support and votes and will let you know the outcome soon! 14