MassArt Receives Carnegie Classification for Extraordinary Commitment to Community Engagement
- Campus News
- Civic and Community Engagement
The Carnegie Classification recognizes MassArt’s educational and community partnerships that advance the public good
Boston, MA – Massachusetts College of Art and Design (MassArt) has received the 2026 Carnegie Foundation Elective Classification for Community Engagement, a distinction awarded by the American Council on Education (ACE) and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.
The Classification recognizes colleges and universities with a deep, institution-wide commitment to collaborating with local, national, and global communities through shared knowledge and resources that enrich teaching and learning, strengthen civic responsibility, address societal challenges, prepare knowledgeable citizens, and serve the public good. At MassArt, this commitment is expressed through dedicated leadership, and co-curricular and community-engaged teaching and learning practices that integrate art and design into civic life. Of the 237 institutions earning the 2026 Community Engagement Classification, MassArt is the only art and design college to receive the designation, underscoring its distinctive role in advancing the public good through art, design, and civic engagement.
“MassArt prepares artists, designers, makers, and educators to use their creativity to strengthen communities and drive social impact,” said MassArt President Dr. Mary K. Grant. “Our programs and partnerships demonstrate how art and design can transform society and empower students to become active citizens who make meaningful contributions to their communities.”
The designation reflects MassArt’s deeply embedded culture of reciprocal, community-engaged learning across disciplines, where teaching, research, and creative practice are shaped in partnership with communities and students gain hands-on experience while advancing the public good. It marks the College’s third Elective Classification for Community Engagement, underscoring MassArt’s sustained leadership and ongoing work with dynamic partners.
“We celebrate each of these institutions, particularly their dedication to partnering with their neighbors — fostering civic engagement, building usable knowledge, and catalyzing real world learning experiences for students,” said Timothy F.C. Knowles, President of the Carnegie Foundation.
Under the leadership of Dr. Lyssa Palu-ay, Vice President of Civic and Community Engagement and Dean of Justice, Equity, and Transformation (JET), MassArt aligns academic programs, youth initiatives, and community partnerships to maximize impact. “This honor is a recognition and validation of all the deep and pervasive work happening across campus.,” said Dr. Palu-ay. “From the MassArt Art Museum, the Center for Art and Community Partnership (CACP), to Humanities and Studio Foundation, MassArt is providing an art and design education grounded in community.”
MassArt Saturday Studios, photo by Damian Hickey.
Across the College, MassArt celebrates community engagement in its curriculum and culture, integrating public and private partnerships into teaching and creative practice. Some examples highlighted in the Carnegie Foundation application draw from Animation, Architecture, Illustration, Sustainability, Three-Dimensional Arts, and Studio for Interrelated Media (SIM), among many other exceptional and multi-award winning programs. Another highlight is MassArt’s Saturday Studios partnership among Art Education, Youth Programs, and Boston Public Schools for students in grades 3-12, now in its 95th year.
Students and faculty collaborate with local organizations on projects ranging from neighborhood storytelling in Boston’s Chinatown to public art, community build projects, and cross-disciplinary performances. Programs such as the MassArt-Haley House Souper Bowl, through which the student-led organization Clay for Change creates more than 300 ceramic bowls annually to support Haley House’s Souper Bowl fundraiser for vital food and housing justice work, connect students with local residents and nonprofits, blending art, community, and social action. Students in Illustration, SIM, and Animation collaborate with organizations including the Chinese Historical Society of New England, Handel and Haydn Society, and Berklee College of Music to produce public performances, recordings, exhibitions, and interactive media.
Souper Bowl Making Day with Haley House, photo by Melissa Ostrow.
Faculty research further extends community impact. Professor Lisong Liu’s research and teaching on history, global migration, immigration, citizenship, ethnic and cultural identity, and community inspires learners world-wide. His book on Chinese student and professional migration was published as part of Routledge’s “Chinese Worlds” series, with further investigations focusing on the transnational history of Chinese in Boston. With pedagogy spanning modern China, Chinese diaspora, Asian American history, U.S.-China relations, “Walking Boston”, and “Boston to Beijing”, Liu not only brings social justice and world-history to life, but helps communities large and small reflect on where we are, and how we are, within space and time together.
“It was an honor to facilitate MassArt’s application and share so many beautiful stories of engagement from across the college. Our dear consultant and collaborator, Ceci Mendez-Ortiz, said the application reads like a love letter to our community,” said Julie Barrett, Associate Dean of Justice, Equity, and Transformation/Executive Director of Project Management. “We hope it shows the profound respect and enormous gratitude we have for this work and all our partners.”
Receiving the 2026 Carnegie Foundation Elective Classification for Community Engagement affirms MassArt’s mission to integrate art, design, and civic engagement. The College’s collaborative approach continues to connect students, faculty, and community partners, enriching learning and advancing the public good.
###
About MassArt
The only independent public college of art and design in the country, Massachusetts College of Art and Design (MassArt) was founded in 1873 in response to a bold idea: art and design are essential to our daily lives, and key to improving our society and economy. What began as a school to teach drawing is today a bold, comprehensive art and design institution that spans 18 undergraduate and nine graduate programs, certificates, continuing education, and post-baccalaureate study.
Media Contact
Temple Gill
Interim Chief Marketing & Communications Officer
tgill@massart.edu
