Spark Newton, a local non-profit organization, has long worked to ignite community engagement and joy through arts and culture events, public spaces, grants, and scholarships. 

“Our mission is to spark joy and creativity and build community here in Newton,” said Blair Lesser Sullivan, Spark Newton’s executive director. 

Recently, the non-profit hosted a jazz performance in Newton City Hall’s War Memorial Auditorium to celebrate Black History Month. The performance was a success with an active turnout of over 100 people.

“Everybody was on their feet, clapping, enjoying the evening,” Sullivan said. 

Formerly Newton Community Pride, Spark Newton recently rebanded after 37 years as a non-profit in late 2025, explained Sullivan. 

“We chose the word Spark because it felt active and energetic, and kept with our mission,” Sullivan said. 

Their stated mission is to bring the Newton community together through local events. Core to these events is that they are accessible and free to the public, as well as related to arts and culture. 

“All of our programming is free, and it’s an important part of our mission,” Sullivan said. 

Another tenet of the non-profit is collaboration with other community organizations, which often takes the form of events such as film screenings, author readings, concerts, and other arts-related events.

WinterFEST, one of Spark Newton’s biggest annual collaborations with local businesses and non-profits, is held in January and often features an excellent turnout. Sullivan explained that many of their events often differ in attendance and participation. 

“Some of our events have 500 people, and some have around 100, so it varies,” Sullivan said. 

Spark Newton also screened the Academy Award-nominated film Sinners in coordination with non-profit West Newton Cinema. The screening involved a panel discussion of the film’s musical influences and featured discussions from notable folk musician Jake Blount and professors from Tufts University and Boston University. 

“Spark Newton is a great partner by offering community-building events free through the cinema,” said West Newton Cinema board member J.B. Sloan. 

This was the third year West Newton Cinema screened a film for Black History Month in coordination with Spark Newton, and Sullivan said the collaboration really amplifies their ability to celebrate Black history.

Community partnership is a common theme in Spark Newton events—they even collaborate with the local government, as spaces for public events often require public property. 

“Some of the stuff we do is on city property, and we have to take permits for that, but it’s always to the benefit of the community,” Sullivan said. 

Spark Newton’s footprint can even be found in the city’s economy as they increase pedestrian activity in the city, explained Spark Newton board member Gloria Gavris.

“We recently published our Community Impact Report showing about $85,000 put back into the community,” Gavris said. 

Gavris explained that Spark Newton also provides micro-grants to local artists in an effort to foster local creativity, which range from $500 to $15,000.

“We’ll be funding about 15 organizations or individuals to produce their own events,” Gavris said. 

In sparking joy and fostering creativity, Spark Newton’s 37-year legacy has left an undeniable impact on the community despite its small size, concluded Sullivan.

“We’re a small organization, but we feel like we have a big impact in the community,” Sullivan said.