Art & Activism

Explore the intersection of creativity and social change, while directly supporting public art in New Bedford’s community.

When: Thursday, March 20
Time: 6:00-8:00 pm
Location: 222 Union Restaurant & Bar at the New Bedford Harbor Hotel
Address: 222 Union Street, Downtown New Bedford
Cost: $50 per person (Limited 50% reduced tickets for ARTnet artist, courtesy of NB Creative)
Tickets available online here.

The event will spotlight Kayla Gagnet, the Senior Vice President of Editorial for the media company, equalpride. From her journalist platform, Gagnet will explore topics such as censorship of art and the importance of acting locally. During the evening, guests will enjoy a specialty set of eclectic vibes provided by DJ Claudia Deebee, while sipping on a suite of Italian wines & amaro curated by wine expert Corey Nuffer. We invite all who are curious about New Bedford’s creative community to an after-work gathering that supports public art.

Each event ticket comes with one wine voucher & delicious appetizers. Thanks to our generous event sponsors, each ticket is 100% tax-deductible and all funds go directly to supporting DATMA’s 2025 public art projects. Want to be part of our big community public art project celebrating our LGBTQIA+ Community? We need you! Learn more here to get involved.

Street parking, no meters after 5pm. No physical tickets will be provided with this event. Your name & reservation details are at the sign-in table at the door. Need lodging? We can help. Learn more about reserving a hotel room at the New Bedford Harbor Hotel here. At check-out, you can save on your room stay with the Explore New Bedford special savings code: Explore

This event is proudly supported by Explore New Bedford and the New Bedford Harbor Hotel.

About our featured guests:

Kayla Gagnet is a media executive and digital strategist with more than 20 years of experience in journalism. She currently serves as the Senior Vice President of Editorial at equalpride, the leading U.S. LGBTQ+ media publisher, where she oversees print and digital content and strategy for prominent publications such as The Advocate, Out, and Pride.com.

Prior to joining equalpride, Kayla led digital news and audience development for local newspapers and television stations in the southeastern U.S. She is a graduate of the Poynter Institute’s Leadership Academy for Women in Digital Media and has been recognized as one of Editor & Publisher’s Top 25 under 35. She lives in Providence, RI, with her spouse, Remy, and their daughter.

Corey Nuffer, a local wine expert, is responsible for putting together our well-curated selection of Italian wines for the evening’s event. Corey is known for pairing her wines with story-telling. Whether you’re a connoisseur or simply just like wine, you will leave Corey’s tasting table with a tale you didn’t know before.

Bushwood Tailors Opportunity Shop owner, Claudia De Sousa-Baptista, aka Claudia Deebee has been selectingan eclectic mix of tunes at New York City bars off and on since the late 90’s and is super excited to get back into DJing now that she calls New Bedford home.