Swampscott ReachArts To 'Cease Operations' In May

SWAMPSCOTT, MA — Swampscott ReachArts — the community organization behind PorchFest, Made By 01907 and other town music, arts and culture showcases — will cease operations in May following the passing of longtime leader Heidi Shear.

"ReachArts was born from the passion of local individuals dedicated to all forms of art, and it has been our pleasure to serve this vibrant community over the past several years," the Board of Directors said in a message to the community on Wednesday. "The love and gratitude we have received from this community has been truly heartwarming, and we will deeply miss our ReachArts family."

A ReachArts spokesperson told Patch that the group does anticipate that PorchFest and perhaps "Made by 01907" and the "GardenArtWalk" will be continued by some residents.

"These events definitely brought out people in the community to experience the arts and make new friends and connections," ReachArts said. "The GardenArtWalk was launched as we were coming out of COVID, and it was a big success with people enjoying the opportunity to be out and about, meeting new people and appreciating the artistic talents of the folks in their backyard."

The Board said that recent donations made to ReachArts will be distributed to other organizations that will continue to support the arts community on the North Shore.

"Thank you for being a part of our journey," the Board of Directors said.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)