Creative
Community
Huddles
Monthly virtual gatherings for Long Island’s arts and culture leaders, creatives, educators, and advocates to connect, exchange ideas, and respond to real-time needs across the field.
What Are Creative Community Huddles?
Creative Community Huddles are monthly, virtual gatherings hosted by Long Island Arts Alliance, designed for arts and culture leaders, creatives, educators, and advocates across Nassau and Suffolk Counties.
Born from the energy of our January 2025 Arts Education Summit, these meetups are a space to stay connected, explore opportunities, and share solutions in real time—without needing a big stage or a big budget.
Whether you’re an executive director, a teaching artist, or a community organizer, you’ll find space here to be heard, be helpful, and be part of something bigger.
Huddles happen on the second Monday of every month at 10:00am, via Zoom.
Why Join a Huddle?
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Focused Conversations on timely challenges and opportunities in the arts sector
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Cross-sector Networking with other Long Island changemakers
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Action-Oriented Dialogue that leads to real ideas and collaboration
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Convenient & Casual—Just one hour, once a month, on Zoom
UP NEXT:
SEPTEMBER
14
2026
Gala Season: What Works, What Doesn’t & Who Do You Use?
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14th | 10:00 AM
Gala season is coming. Let’s compare notes. Bring the fundraising ideas that worked, the ones you’d never do again, vendor recommendations, sponsorship strategies, event questions, and lessons learned. This will be a practical peer exchange for organizations planning fall and winter fundraisers.
FUTURE HUDDLES:
OCTOBER
12
2026
AI in the Arts: What Are We Using, and How Are We Protecting Ourselves?
MONDAY, OCTOBER 12th | 10:00 AM
AI is already showing up in arts organizations’ daily work, from drafting communications and organizing information to creating images and supporting research. This informal Huddle is a space to compare notes: what tools are people actually using, where is AI saving time, what feels useful or concerning, and how can we use it thoughtfully while protecting artists, staff, audiences, and our work?
PAST HUDDLES:
AUG
19
2026
I Didn’t Get the Grant… Now What?
This Creative Community Huddle creates a supportive space for artists and arts organizations to unpack grant rejection, identify common pitfalls, and explore clearer ways to communicate their work. Using real “before and after” examples from a recent grant proposal, participants will reflect together on what changed and why, and consider how those lessons can strengthen their own applications. The conversation will be led by Grants Specialist, Liz Mirarchi and will highlight how LI Grants Academy can support applicants through workshops, office hours, and one-on-one guidance.
JUN
8
2026
Art, Health, and Feeling Better
There’s growing interest in how arts and culture can support mental health, reduce loneliness, and help people feel more connected in their daily lives, including through ideas like “social prescribing” and “arts on prescription.” For this Huddle, we’re keeping it very simple: if you’re already doing work at the intersection of art, health, healing, or wellbeing on Long Island, we’d especially love for you to join us.
FEB
8
2026
Potluck Huddle
An informal, peer-driven conversation where everyone is invited to bring one small thing to the table. That might be a question, a resource, a challenge, a recent win, or a tool you’ve found useful.
APRIL
13
2026
Funding Right Now, Where To Focus Your Energy
We will touch on tourism‑focused grants, NYFA/NYSCA reserve and relief funds, and getting ready for NYSCA FY27 without scrambling at the last minute.
NOV
10
2025
Arts Advocacy in Action: Making Our Case Before Budget Season
Let's chat about advocacy strategies, action items and LIAA's policy goals for 2026.
JULY
14
2025
Making Data Work for the Arts
We’ll explore practical ways arts organizations can collect, interpret, and leverage data—without needing a research team or fancy tools.
DEC
8
2025
Creative Wins, Big and Small
Join us to share, listen, and lift up the moments that made 2025 a little brighter for Long Island’s arts community.
SEPT
8
2025
The Creative Spark – Unlocking the Arts as a Regional Asset
Guest Speaker:
Eli Dvorkin, Editorial & Policy Director, Center for an Urban Future
This month’s Huddle offers something special: a sneak preview of Harnessing Long Island’s Creative Spark, a forthcoming report from Long Island Arts Alliance and the Center for an Urban Future. This first-of-its-kind study explores the creative sector’s role as a catalyst for economic vitality, inclusion, and regional identity—and makes the case for why the arts must be central to Long Island’s future.
MAY
12
2025
Collaborative Marketing and Visibility
We’ll explore ways we can amplify each other’s work, create a stronger collective presence, and take small, shared actions that boost visibility, without stretching already thin resources.
JUNE
9
2025
Demystifying NYSCA Funding
Guest Speaker:
Megan White, NYSCA's Deputy Director of Programs
We’ll walk through the updated materials, clarify eligibility and program categories, and crowdsource solutions to common challenges—whether it's prequalification, crafting strong narratives, or developing project budgets.
APRIL
9
2025
Welcome To The Huddle!
We're kicking off our new monthly Creative Community Huddles with space for real conversation, shared leadership, and peer support. These informal, one-hour Zoom gatherings are designed to help Long Island’s arts and culture leaders connect across disciplines, break out of silos, and learn from one another in real time.
THANK YOU TO OUR PROGRAM SUPPORTERS
Assemblymember Charles D. Lavine