11/9/2026
There are very few moments in life when you can feel a chapter coming to a close while simultaneously feeling a new one beginning.
This is one of those moments.
After much reflection, prayer, conversation, and listening to my spirit, I have made the decision to step down as the Executive Director of BAMS Fest as we enter our twelfth year.
Even as I write these words, they feel surreal.
For more than a decade, BAMS Fest has been woven into nearly every part of my life. It has challenged me, stretched me, humbled me, and filled me with more joy than I ever could have imagined. It has introduced me to extraordinary artists, visionaries, changemakers, and dreamers. More importantly, it has connected me to a community that believed in something bigger than any one person.
I often think about a TED Talk by Derek Sivers in which he explains that movements are not built by leaders alone. They are built by the first followers. The people willing to believe in an idea before there is proof it will succeed. The people who take a risk, show up, and invite others to join them.
That has always felt like the story of BAMS Fest.
Long before there were stages, sponsors, thousands of attendees, or national recognition, there were just a few people who believed in what many considered a crazy idea: that a festival could become a vehicle for restoring pride, visibility, opportunity, and belonging for artists and creative communities of color.
That belief changed my life.
I still remember telling my family that I wanted to start a nonprofit and build a festival that would make them proud. Their response was simple: "That's ambitious."
And it was.
But they believed in me anyway.
Their support gave me the courage to pursue what felt less like a career move and more like an ancestral calling. I wanted to create something that celebrated the brilliance already present in our communities and helped artists stay, work, contribute, and thrive in the city they loved.
The road was not easy.
There were plenty of rejections. Plenty of closed doors. Plenty of moments when the vision seemed larger than the resources available to support it.
Yet what I remember most are the people and places that said yes.
Places like the Egleston Square YMCA, Haley House, Dudley Cafe, The Verve, Wally's, the Milky Way, and countless other community spaces opened my eyes to what was possible when creativity, care, and community came together. Those spaces introduced me to poets, musicians, dancers, DJs, photographers, architects, designers, technicians, entrepreneurs, and cultural leaders whose passion and commitment left a permanent mark on my heart.
I fell in love with the courage of creative people.
The courage to keep creating when resources are scarce.
The courage to keep believing when the odds feel impossible.
The courage to share your gifts with the world.
Those stories became the heartbeat of BAMS Fest.
What started as a festival eventually became something much larger. Together, we built a movement rooted in belonging, representation, preservation, collective care, and Ujima, the principle of collective work and responsibility. WE created experiences where people could see themselves reflected. Spaces where artists felt valued. Spaces where joy, culture, and community weren't treated as extras, but as essential.
Somewhere along the way, this dream became a Boston tradition.
That realization fills me with both pride and humility.
Because the truth is, BAMS Fest has never belonged to me.
It belongs to every ARTISTS who performed on our stages. Every VOLUNTEER who gave their time. Every STAFF member who has poured their heart into the work. Every FUNDER who invested in the vision. Every VENDOR, PARTNER , COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION, and AUDIENCE member who showed up and said, "This matters."
We built this.
We nurtured it.
We carried it forward.
And for that, I will be forever grateful.
To the artists, especially, thank you.
Thank you for trusting me with your stories, your creativity, your hopes, and your dreams. Thank you for allowing me to witness your growth, your resilience, and your brilliance. From performances and exhibitions to collaborations, celebrations, and life's biggest milestones, I carry those memories with me as treasured gifts.
They have shaped who I am.
Over the years, another truth slowly revealed itself.
In quiet moments between festivals, meetings, and community gatherings, I began to hear a different calling. A gentle but persistent voice asking me to think beyond what I had already built. To imagine how my gifts might serve other creative communities, other cities, and other parts of the world.
I realized that while my love for Boston remains unwavering, my journey is expanding.
I want to become a true global citizen. I want to learn from creative communities across the world and contribute to their growth and sustainability. I want to continue helping individuals, organizations, and communities imagine new possibilities and build pathways toward them.
At my core, that has always been the work.
I believe in people.
I believe in creativity.
I believe in the transformative power of community.
And I believe that when people are given the resources, relationships, and support they need, extraordinary things happen.
As I step into this next season of my life, I leave with a full heart and an unshakable belief in what we have built together. What began as a vision has become a movement, and what became a movement now belongs to the people. The future of BAMS Fest will not be determined by one founder or one leader. It will be shaped by every artist who dares to create, every supporter who chooses to invest, every partner who opens a door, and every community member who believes that culture, belonging, and joy matter.
While I may be concluding this chapter, I am not saying goodbye to the work. I am simply carrying its lessons, relationships, and spirit into new spaces, new communities, and new parts of the world. Wherever my journey leads, Boston will always be home, BAMS Fest will always be family, and I will forever be grateful for the privilege of building this dream alongside you.
My deepest hope is that BAMS Fest continues to be a place where people find themselves, find each other, and find the courage to imagine something greater. May it continue to be a home for creativity, a platform for possibility, and a living reminder that when communities come together around a shared vision, extraordinary things happen. Also, I hope that each of you continue showing up with the same love, courage, and commitment that have sustained this organization from the beginning.
Water its roots.
Celebrate its growth.
Protect its future.
Challenge it to dream even bigger.
Thank you for trusting me. Thank you for growing with me. Thank you for believing in a vision that became something far larger than any one person could have imagined.
The movement continues.
With love, gratitude, and hope,
Catherine T. Morris
Founder, BAMS Fest