Skip to Content
MASSART Logo

At MassArt
At MassArt

MassArt Common Good Awards

Show Hide Navigation
Show Hide Navigation

Celebrating the Impact of Art and Design on Civic Life

The MassArt Common Good Awards recognize and celebrate individuals and organizations pushing the boundaries of advocacy, teaching, placemaking, design thinking, and making in the realm of arts and culture – emphasizing the public influence of arts and its role in problem-solving and quality of life.

On December 6, 2025, the College will host the annual MassArt Common Good Awards ceremony to honor this year’s awardees.

As the nation’s first and only independent public college of art and design, Massachusetts College of Art and Design (MassArt) has been a catalyst for envisioning the role of art, culture, and design in all aspects of life. We look forward to celebrating the contributions of individuals from across the Commonwealth and beyond.

RELATED
Common Good Awardee Photos
A Celebration of Joy and Inspiring Creativity

In 2024, MassArt honored six Common Good Award recipients—local leaders who are transforming lives and strengthening communities: Toni Elka, May Chau, Shirley Edgerton, Thaddeus Miles, Frederick Wiseman, and Yinette Guzman.

Learn About Last Year's Awardees

Nominations Process

Nominations for this year’s MassArt Common Good Awards are now open through August 1, 2025.

MassArt will honor people and organizations who make a valuable impact on society through art and design. We will celebrate those who push the boundaries of advocacy, teaching, placemaking, design thinking, and making in the realm of arts and culture, placing an emphasis on the public influence of arts and its role in problem solving and raising the quality of life for everyone.

We expect to award five or six MassArt Common Good Awards this year.

The categories are as follows:

  • Nominee must have attended MassArt.

  • Nominee must be a current or retired art teacher in a K-12 setting in Massachusetts.
  • Nominees in this category do not need to have any MassArt affiliation.

We ask nominators to think broadly about individuals and organizations doing great work at the intersection of art and civic life. For instance, awards could be to an architect or landscape architect who worked on a public project or successfully incorporated public use into a private project; a public artist; an elected or appointed public official who has advanced the sector in a meaningful way; a designer who made something for a public purpose; someone who took a bold stand related to arts and culture; a youth artist working in community; someone working to address artist displacement; someone working in arts and health; an innovator, etc. Nominees in this category do not need to have any MassArt affiliation.

Please note: While there is one specific alumni award, alumni may be nominated in any category.

For the purposes of nomination, arts and culture should be broadly defined, and include visual and performing arts, literature, film, fashion, design, advocacy, administration, creative economy, etc. We seek to think differently and surprise people with what might be considered arts victories. We look for nominations that are highly intersectional to illustrate the intrinsic value of arts and culture in our lives. Nominations are being solicited from the MassArt community as well as the broader arts community in Massachusetts and beyond.

  • You may nominate more than one person, but please use one form per nomination.
  • You may self-nominate.
  • Preference will be given to individuals, organizations and ideas with Massachusetts ties.

The deadline for submissions ended on August 1, 2025, midnight EDT.

The award ceremony will be held on December 6, 2025.

Submit a Nomination
Arts, culture, and design are everywhere, embedded in all facets of our lives. As a public institution, we exist at the nexus of service, civic life, arts, and culture. Dr. Mary K. Grant, MassArt President
image description
621 Huntington Ave,
Boston, MA 02115

(617) 879-7000
Academics
Programs
Admissions
Costs & Aid
Student Life
About
At MassArt
Giving
Information for