ArtWeek SouthCoast - New Bedford Creative

ArtWeek SouthCoast is an annual festival celebrating creativity in our communities.

Join us Friday, May 8 through Sunday, May 17, 2026.

ArtWeek SouthCoast returns May 8–17, 2026 — and this year we’re thinking bigger and bolder than ever.
The SouthCoast Community Foundation is leading an expanded regional celebration that will spotlight creativity across all of Southeastern Massachusetts — from New Bedford and Wareham to Fall River and Westport, all the way to Attleboro, Taunton, Brockton, and beyond!

Artists, performers, cultural groups, creative businesses, and community organizations will once again offer 50+ hands-on, interactive, and behind-the-scenes experiences that bring people closer to the creative process. From gallery openings and live performances to poetry readings, maker demos, family-friendly workshops, and more, there will be something for everyone to enjoy.

Interested in joining us? Click here to watch our info session!

Originally launched in 2021 as SouthCoast SpringArts, the festival continues in the spirit of ArtWeek MA, the statewide creative celebration presented by the Highland Street Foundation and produced by the Boch Center. Today, ArtWeek SouthCoast carries that legacy forward — growing into a more inclusive, more collaborative, and more region-wide festival than ever before.

This year’s celebration will engage returning partners from Fall River, New Bedford, Dartmouth, Marion, Westport, Fairhaven, Mattapoisett, Somerset, and Wareham, while also welcoming new voices, new communities, and new creative leaders from across the Southeastern Massachusetts region.

Thank You to Our Supporters & Sponsors

AHA! New Bedford
Bristol County Savings Bank
Dartmouth Cultural Center
Explore New Bedford
Fall River Arts & Culture Coalition
Hatch Street Studios
Marion Art Center
Mass Cultural Council
Midori Creativity
New Bedford Creative
South Coast Almanac
South Coast Artists
SouthCoast Community Foundation
Visit Southeastern Massachusetts
Viva Fall River
Westport Art Group

This program is supported in part by grants from the Dartmouth, Fall River, Freetown, Marion, Mattapoisett, New Bedford, Rochester, Somerset, and Westport local cultural councils, local agencies which are supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency. Additional funding is provided by Bristol County Savings Bank and the Creative SouthCoast Initiative Fund of the SouthCoast Community Foundation.

Calendar of Events:

Thank you to our partner SouthCoast Today for providing our free event listings. Search #ArtWeekSouthCoast for festival events. For artists and venues, to add your event for ArtWeek SouthCoast, click on “Sign in” below and be sure to add #ArtWeekSouthCoast to key words.