The Somerville Arts Council, the City of Somerville, and the Metropolitan Area Planning Council are conducting two surveys to find out if artists and creative organizations have stable access to arts spaces. Artists and creatives who live or work in Somerville may take either or both the survey for individuals or organizations.

Each survey will take 5-9 minutes to complete. We’ll use the results to identify the risks that arts spaces face, to inform public policy and establish programs to help preserve and develop arts spaces for individual artists and creative organizations in Somerville.

Please complete either or both surveys by May 24.

For the past five months, the Arts Council and MAPC have been working with a Cultural Space Task Force comprised of artists, city planners, one City Councilor, banker, and others, to review risks and opportunities related to the city’s recent comprehensive zoning changes. The work of this task force will inform MAPC to develop an arts space assessment strategy that explores how municipal policies affect the sustainable operations of spaces where artists produce and disseminate their work.

The final report will contain an analysis of existing policies and programs and will recommend actions that the city and partners can take to strengthen and grow facilities for production and dissemination of arts and culture in Somerville, leading to a thriving arts and cultural life for all.

For more information about this work, please visit either the MAPC site or Somerville Arts Council site