Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

Salem Arts Association is committed to our values of of inclusivity, diversity, and respect for all people!  We welcome everyone in our community and offer a safe and prejudice-free environment in which every individual is respected, understood, and appreciated for who they are and how they identify. 

Salem Arts Association reminds our visitors, volunteers, and artists to hold each other accountable, take care of one another, and be kind.

So join us. Join us as a member. Join us as a visitor. Join us as a supporter. Come share your creativity - all the arts. Come share your thoughts. Come share you with us.

The Salem Arts Association stands in solidarity with Ukraine and all Ukrainians here and abroad. Our organization’s building has a direct connection to the Ukrainian population here in Salem. By the late nineteenth-century, Polish and Ukrainian immigrants settled the area. Driven out of their homeland by various wars, famines, and political shifts, the Poles and Ukrainians came to Salem to work in the shoe and leather factories, and in other industries. 

Derby Street and the surrounding area was the home of Salem’s growing Slavic population. Our organization has a connection to the Ukrainian population here in Salem. Our building at 159 Derby Street was the location of the John Franco Society, Assembly 703 of the Ukrainian’s Workingmen’s Association, later the John Franco Ukrainian Society (1921-1934). St. Joseph’s Hall at 160 Derby Street and the Ukrainian’s Workingmen’s Association at 159 Derby Street provided newly arrived immigrants with community, housing, and job placement. 

These organizations provided the structural network that newly arrived immigrants needed in order to survive (SAA: 159 Derby Project https://salemarts.org/159-Derby-History ). 

In honor of our legacy, we urge you to donate to a charitable organization that directly supports Ukraine and Ukrainians. All the listed charities are registered in the USA and are 501(c)(3) Not-for-Profit organizations. Donations and gifts are tax-deductible to the full extent allowable under IRS regulations.

Learn More and View Donation Options

North American Reciprocal Museums Program Benefits 

Salem Arts Association Members, Artists and Friends, may now receive extra benefits of our participation with the North American Reciprocal Museums Program known as NARM. Enjoy access to 1,000 museums through the North American Reciprocal Museums (NARM) program.  Join our "Artist Master Circle" or as a "Friend of Salem Arts" at Steward or above and receive NARM Benefits PLUS 10% off at our shop and more from local merchants. See a list of NARM Members where you can get free admission and discounts, including here in Salem at PEM and House of the Seven Gables.