Newton's nearly 50 arts and cultural nonprofits need roughly 400 volunteer board members to keep running, and a former nonprofit leader says finding them has become the sector's toughest challenge.

Emily O'Neil, a Newton resident and former executive director of the New Art Center, made the case in a column published Wednesday, Sept. 16, in the Newton Beacon. If each organization maintains a modest eight-member board, the math adds up fast. That total doesn't count committee members, advisors and other volunteers.

O'Neil, who also served as co-chair of the Newton Cultural Council, pointed to busy schedules, changed volunteering habits during COVID-19 and an overly narrow view of what "arts leadership" means. Many residents assume board service requires an arts background.

It doesn't, she argued.

The skills most needed are practical: accounting, law, marketing, technology, fundraising, human resources and strategic planning. O'Neil wrote that as executive director she relied on board members "to help navigate issues from the banal to the sublime (think raccoon remediation to covid financing)."

The shortage matters across Newton's 13 villages, where cultural programming is spread out rather than concentrated in one center. O'Neil wrote that a small circle of residents cannot be expected to serve on every board, attend every fundraiser and sustain the city's cultural life alone.

The New Art Center, where O'Neil formerly led operations, illustrates the scale of Newton's arts ecosystem. The organization at 245 Walnut St. has offered classes since 1977, now runs more than 400 annually and serves over 3,200 students of all ages, according to its website. Christina An is the center's current executive director.

Citywide, the Newton Cultural Council received a $28,700 allocation for fiscal year 2027 from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, according to state records. In fiscal year 2026, the council awarded $2,000 to the New Art Center for cultural workshops.

O'Neil urged residents to start by browsing the Newton Arts Calendar or the city's Interactive Arts and Culture Map, both maintained by Newton's Arts and Culture Department. From there, she suggested reaching out to an organization directly and asking how to help.

"You don't have to be an artist to support the arts," O'Neil wrote. "You simply need to believe in an organization's mission and have something you're willing to contribute."