Recognizing the value of artists and artisans to a thriving retail and community culture, the Charles River Regional Chamber is expanding its outreach on behalf of the area’s arts community. Just before the holiday season, the chamber launched a promotional campaign to create awareness of artists and creative experiences in support of the creative economy.
“I think arts and culture hold a really unique position to be this catalyst, as well as the intersection point, of [both] the general community and the business community,” said John Rufo, co-chair of the chamber’s Arts and Culture Committee. He described the campaign as a natural step from the chamber’s longstanding “Support Local” movement.
According to the chamber’s website, the Arts and Culture Committee was designed to “help chamber members discover the power of arts and culture in the community and its vital role in the local and regional economy.”
“[The chamber is] just trying to get as much in the way of visibility for our arts and culture nonprofits, and [for] our arts and culture businesses,” said Rufo, who has co-chaired the committee with Emily O’Neil of Newton since it was formed in 2024. They are assisted by 16 other chamber representatives, each of whom is involved with the arts and culture scene in their respective municipalities.
For Rufo, it’s his own business (John Rufo Studio). Rufo and his family are longtime Needham residents. His two (now adult) daughters grew up heavily involved in the arts, influenced by their creative parents. Both Rufo and his wife, Caroline, hold degrees from the Rhode Island School of Design — architecture and fine arts for John, and graphic design for Caroline — and they’ve each fostered their passion for art well past their college years.
The couple has enjoyed not only creating their art side by side, but also showing it together, especially at the Gorse Mill Studios. Rufo, who is also an architect, was a chamber member and saw that Needham’s art scene was also a business scene. He sought to bridge the gap between the businesspeople and creatives of the four chamber cities and towns (Needham, Newton, Watertown and Wellesley) building awareness of both groups’ impacts on their respective communities and economies. Thus, the Arts and Culture Committee was born.
“I think of the arts as this kind of, almost a lubricant, that allows you to experience community and [get to know] the members of your community,” Rufo said. “When people come together for the tree lighting in Needham center, or a concert or a community event, that is both business and culture.”
The “Support Local Arts and Culture” campaign offers 10 ways to show support for the arts, ranging from shopping or attending an event to joining or donating to an organization, or simply spreading the word about them.
“Supporting local arts and artists strengthens our communities and our economy. That message has value beyond the holidays,” said Rufo. “If it influences even a small number of people to attend a performance, visit a museum or buy a painting, that’s a meaningful outcome.”
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