Aha! Night director Lee Heald officially retires. Here's what the community had to say.

NEW BEDFORD – The Rotch-Jones-Duff House was full of love and support last week, to the director of Aha! Night Lee Heald, as she officially retires and leaves behind a long-lasting legacy in the local arts and culture scene.

“I think today is one of the great aha moments for me,” Heald said. “As a lifelong hiker, I always think of pathways and each pathway has its own adventure. And so today is just part of the adventure and some of the markers along the way.”

Since 2007, Heald has been the director of Aha! Night New Bedford's 2nd Thursday free art and culture night. Heald worked hard to get funding for Aha! from the Adams Grants for the Creative Economy under the Massachusetts Cultural Council as well as getting 52 partner organizations to participate.

With the help of Rep. Antonio F.D. Cabral, Heald has brought in over $1 million dollars for the organization. “As I look back over my time, it's really the people and the sets of experiences with those people that stay with me. And that really has been my greatest joy,” she said.

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Heald also served as the vice-president of program, education and exhibitions at the New Bedford Whaling Museum in which she was in charge of educational and public programs, exhibitions, library functions, visitor services and volunteers.

She earned an undergraduate degree in American History from Brown, her Master's Degree in American History and Museum Studies from the University of Delaware, and her Ph.D. from Lesley University.

Her past work experiences also include her service on the Governor's Creative Economic Development Council as well as the USS Constitution Museum, Melville Cultural Project, Freedom Trail Foundation, Plimoth Plantation, the Rhode Island Historical Society and the Hagley Museum.

New Bedford officials pay tribute to Lee’s mentorship

Jennfier Smith, superintendent of the New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park, said she grew up with Heald as both Aha! and the park expanded into the community.

“Lee has been a mentor to me. Lee and I have gone on some wonderful adventures together. We have seen this community come together around great things and challenging times. And I'm gonna miss Lee on the landscape on the regular.”

Mandy Fraser, the partners & programs coordinator for Aha!, said that Heald and her have partnered on several events such as the Pride Block Party.

“She's certainly leaving a legacy to all of us,” Fraser said.

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John Vasconcellos, former president of the SouthCoast Community Foundation and also emcee for the evening’s part, said that Heald was also one of the SouthCoast biggest allies for the LGBTQ+ community.

“Lee is a gardener, and the gardener needs to know plant selection, growth habits, how to place things so they flourish, the need to water and weed and the very important job of pruning,” he said.

“Lee did that every month at Aha!. She brought discipline and evolution to Aha! Downtown New Bedford was yet another one of Lee’s gardens.”

Lee Blake, educator and president of the New Bedford Historical Society, told a story in which the two would constantly be mistaken for one another. She also applauded her for stepping off the New Bedford Art Museum board so that the museum could select an “underserved individual, a minority individual such as a Black Cape Verdean member, to be on a board.”

“Lee has mentored us. She has brought her wisdom, she has brought her vision. And sometimes she's brought us criticism that we needed to hear from somebody that we cared about,” Blake added.

Lee Heald receives honorary resolution from the city

Mayor Jon Mitchell also spoke highly of Heald’s work with the city awarding her a resolution from the city.

Nathaniel Fuchs, Heald’s son, spoke briefly about how his mother only talks about the relationships that she's built with the people in New Bedford. “On behalf of the family, I want to thank all of you for being there for my mom and providing your support and love,” he said.

Destination Soups and The Baker served treats throughout the night.

Nelson Hockert-Lotz, who retired from his role as “Mayor of Pizza” during an Aha! event last year, co-hosted Heald’s party and catered the dinner by Domino’s.

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“When you come downtown on an Aha! night, and you actually have to look for parking spaces, this is a sign of success downtown,” he said. “But if you come downtown, when it's not an Aha! night, and you still have a parking problem – that is the whole idea coming together, making the city that was once shunned and forgotten, a special beloved place again. And Aha! has been one part of that journey.”

Anthi Frangiadis, owner of The Drawing Room and chair of Aha! Steering Committee, said that Aha! was a deciding factor to move her business from Marion to New Bedford in 2019.

“I saw a series of collaborations between art history and architecture, which I completely aligned myself with,” she said. “Lee has been there as an advocate for myself, for many of you, for our organizations and more importantly, she has been an advocate for the city and downtown.”

What’s next for Heald?

As for what’s next to Heald, she said she has some plans but isn’t sharing them yet. She made a goal with herself to visit all 50 states and so far is missing Mississippi, Alabama and North Dakota.

“So, if someone would like to host me in North Dakota and Alabama, let me know,” she said, adding she already found a home to visit in Mississippi.

“The DNA of New Bedford has changed dramatically, in my experience, in the last 25 years. One of the things that's exciting for me is to sort of see the next team come up, because we've raised a whole generation of people for whom the arts and culture makes sense to them,” Heald added.

“I'm really excited about being a cheerleader for that whole group.”

Standard-Times staff writer Seth Chitwood can be reached at schitwood@s-t.com. Follow him on twitter: @ChitwoodReports. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Standard-Times today.

This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: Aha! New Bedford director Lee Heald retires