Braintree To Name Longtime Art Educator Citizen Of The Year

News release from Town of Braintree.

BRAINTREE, MA — Mayor Erin V. Joyce has announced that on Thursday, January 18, 2024 the Town of Braintree will honor and recognize educator, arts center director, and United States Marine Heidi Hurley with the 2024 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Citizen of the Year Award.

“Ms. Heidi Hurley is our beloved Creative Director of the Braintree Community Arts Center with a long history of public service as a teacher and Director of the Braintree Public Schools Arts program; but what notably began her service to others was with the United States Marine Corps” said Mayor Joyce. “Ms. Hurley embodies what it means to live a life of service and she does so with colorful, creative outreach to our youth in her current role as Creative Director at the Arts Center. As a founding member of the Arts Center she continues to support our Town and its youth beyond her years of service in the schools.”

Throughout the year Ms. Hurley leads a wide variety of programs at the Arts Center for all ages and abilities including the extremely popular Kids’ Art Night Out, school vacation and summer programs and weekly Open Studio programs. A Marine, Heidi is an advocate for Veterans and remains active in several organizations often combining her love for art with her work for her fellow Veterans.

A special ceremony to honor Ms. Hurley will begin at 6:30pm in Town Hall on Thursday, January 18th. The Braintree High School choir will offer musical selections and we will welcome remarks from some special guests. Light refreshments will be served at the conclusion of the ceremony. The public is invited to attend.