Helping the Arts, Retailers and Charitable Causes ‘Flourish’

March 9, 2026
• A trifold arts program aims to support local artists, businesses and a nonprofit through seasonally appropriate imagery.

When springtime rolls around, Needham artist Wendy Segal thinks of florals. This season, she and a team of 13 other artists will donate their own flower-themed creations in Needham stores to raise money for a local nonprofit.

Needham Artists Flourish, a program Segal organized as a member of the town’s Council for Arts and Culture, will feature artistic works for sale across nine Needham retailers. All proceeds from the art will be donated to the Needham Community Council. The program runs from March 14 to March 28.

The fundraiser, Segal said, “was built around community.”

“We’ll be raising money for the community council, but we’re also marketing these wonderful artists in Needham,” she said. “We’re also bringing people into these shops in Needham because, as you know, retail is hard. It’s difficult.”

Participating stores include The Bookshop of Needham, The Closet Exchange, Crosby Jewelers, Needham Florist, Hazels Bakery, Sculpture Hair Studio, Shop Micki, W.O.W. and Volante Farms.

The goal is to introduce art into new homes, bring in foot traffic and raise some money in the process, Segal said. Segal, a metal jewelry designer, will contribute small sculptural pieces for the program. The art will be priced affordably to encourage sales, she added, and they don’t have a dollar amount they hope to raise.

“Every penny counts,” she said. “It’s going to help everybody who’s involved.”

Abby Bernstein, chair of the NCAC, wrote in an email that the program intends to harness artists’ skills to make a difference.

“As you might know, the landscape for SNAP benefits has changed drastically due to recent legislation. Between stricter work requirements for older adults and funding cuts, real roadblocks have been placed in front of people trying to access benefits, and the NCC is seeing a massive surge in demand,” Bernstein wrote. “We wanted to figure out how to use our unique position to help, knowing that our creativity could drive engagement in a way that a standard food drive might not.”

Sandy Robinson, executive director of the NCC, shared her excitement for the fundraiser in an email.

“The Council’s mission is to support people in Needham who have under-met health, educational or social needs, and our goal is to help people flourish, so this is a perfect fit for us,” Robinson wrote. “We appreciate the efforts of the local artists who are participating in this endeavor.”

Rebecca Cohen of Shop Micki said the program is “a good way for people to come see the store.” The store opened about three years ago.

“I’m excited to open up my doors to the community,” Cohen said.

Al Turco of Crosby Jewelers shared a similar sentiment.

“We just thought it was a good thing for the community,” Turco said.

Flourish coincides with Art in Bloom, another Needham effort to welcome color and flowers in time for spring. Residents are matched with a piece of art by a Needham High School student and are tasked with creating a floral arrangement inspired by their art. Both will be displayed side-by-side in an exhibit at the Needham Free Public Library this weekend.

Mary Hensley prepared six watercolors for Flourish, all of which feature flowers — a welcome reprieve from this particularly tough winter, she said. Hensley works seasonally with flowers, and her pieces include tulips, lilies, daffodils, roses and more. One of her floral pieces is also displayed in Art Outside, an ongoing outdoor installation across town by the Needham Art Association.

Sharing her work with new people is part of the joy of being an artist, she said.

“It’s very exciting because I work in a corner of a room in my house, and it’s nice to get the paintings moving out into the community,” Hensley said. “It is flourishing in Needham, the arts.”

From Needham painter Paula Rosen’s perspective, artists have a responsibility to give back, no matter at what scale. Rosen, who primarily paints portraits, spent several years painting to raise money for families in Uganda.

Closer to home, Rosen donated her artwork to Flourish, stating that the NCC is “a worthwhile cause.”

“If you’re an artist, you’ve been given a gift. Give it away,” she said.