Amidst over 2 million square feet of cultural space in the Greater Boston region, there are two unsung heroes in the city of Somerville that aim to preserve and create arts space. In 2019, Somerville adopted a Fabrication District along with an ACE (Arts and Creative Enterprise) requirement when developing. The spirit of the Fabrication District is to preserve these usually 100-year-old-plus former industrial buildings as artist and creative communities for affordable individual artist workspaces. In Somerville, these are Joy Street Studios, Miller Street Studios, Vernon Street Studios, Milk Row Studios and Washington Street Arts Center. Meaning: Somerville, known for being big on arts, saw how the region was changing, and chose to do what it could to keep artists working in Somerville. In the Fabrication District, owners may only develop up to four floors, ultimately de-incentivizing … [Read more...] about DON’T F WITH FAB!: PRESERVING AFFORDABLE SPACE IN SOMERVILLE

Manchester, New Hampshire proves to be a difficult city for artists but has the potential to be one of New England’s most accommodating. Stocked with mill buildings lining the Merrimack River and a downtown filled with newly emptied office spaces, the “Queen City” is a cynical gentrifier’s dream. But there are those who argue that fostering a home-grown artistic community would offer a more durable investment than the promises made by fickle tech companies, who come and go with each market bubble. The demise of the New Hampshire Art Institute has been a major blow to the city’s art community. Founded in 1895, the Institute’s final decade was a tumble of failed incorporations and break-in-case-of-emergency tactics, ending in a complete merger with New England College in 2019. It was announced in the spring of 2023 that the Manchester cam- pus — centered around the century-old Emma B. … [Read more...] about “A COMMONPLACE FOR DOING”: MANCHESTER’S MOSAIC ART COLLECTIVE BUILDS COMMUNITY