Diamond Factory Pop-Up Gallery Brings Art to Former Davis Square Starbucks

Latte art is being reimagined in Somerville. This October, the former Starbucks storefront in Davis Square is transforming into Diamond Factory—a pop-up art gallery exploring how artists create beauty in response to the pressures and upheavals of the world.

The City’s Arts & Culture Division is opening Diamond Factory in partnership with innovative gallerist Susan Berstler, who proposed the idea. The project gives an empty storefront a creative second act while tackling a persistent challenge for Somerville’s arts community: finding affordable, appropriate space to make and share work.

Community members are invited to join Mayor Wilson, Berstler, participating artists, and Arts & Culture staff, for a ribbon cutting on Saturday, October 17, from 4 to 6 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

“Empty storefronts are a challenge for our commercial areas, but they’re also an opportunity to get creative, and Somerville has no shortage of people ready to do that,” said Mayor Jake Wilson. “Diamond Factory provides artists room to share their work and gives the rest of us a reason to slow down, look in the window, walk through the door – and bring some art or inspiration into our day. That’s the kind of discovery and energy we want in our squares, and we’re delighted to help make space for it.”

The opening exhibition, Diamond Factory I, will feature work by Resa Blatman, Sarah Myers Brent, Zach Faugno-Teig, Andrew Fish, Carol Fonde, Sharon Lacey, Greer Muldowney, Andrew Neumann, John Savone, and Michael Talbot.

“Diamond Factory is turning a dark window into a bright spot for Davis Square,” said Ward Six City Councilor and City Council President Lance Davis. “A big thanks to Susan Berstler and the City’s Arts and Culture Division for creating another great reason for people to explore Davis Square and Somerville.”

Opening the Diamond Factory

The gallery takes its name from We Create Diamonds, a contemporary art exhibition curated by Michael Talbot at the Nave Gallery in Somerville (run by Berstler) this spring. Like diamonds formed under pressure, art can emerge from difficult circumstances. But the idea also invites a closer look at the exploitation and inequities behind the diamond industry, and the complicated relationship between beauty and the conditions that produce it.

“Artists have always been resourceful about making things happen, even when the circumstances aren’t ideal,” said Berstler, founder of Diamond Factory. “I love taking an empty space and giving it a new life through art. There’s something wonderfully fitting about creating something beautiful and unexpected under pressure—and bringing it into an everyday space where people can discover it.”

About the Somerville Arts & Culture Division: Focus on Space

Diamond Factory builds on the City’s experience finding room for the arts in unexpected places. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Arts & Culture Division helped turn an empty Assembly Row storefront into a temporary dance space.

That effort helped lay the groundwork for SomArt, which provides affordable space for artists and creative organizations. At Bow Market, the Division’s Nibble program and restaurant incubator give local culinary entrepreneurs space and support to grow their businesses.

“We hear again and again that artists and cultural workers need space to create, incubate, and share their work,” said Rachel Strutt, Interim Director of the Somerville Arts & Culture Division. “Diamond Factory puts an available storefront to work for artists and gives the community a new place to connect with them. Those connections help sustain our local arts scene and bring people into our squares.”

The gallery is expected to operate for approximately three to four months, with exhibitions and programming inviting the public to experience local artists’ work. Additional details about gallery hours and upcoming events will be announced in the coming weeks.

To view this update and more City news on the City website, visit somervillema.gov/news.  

ADA accommodations: Persons with disabilities who need auxiliary aids and services for effective communication (i.e., CART, ASL), written materials in alternative formats, or reasonable modifications in policies and procedures in order to access the programs, activities, and meetings of the City of Somerville should contact the ADA Coordinator in advance at 617-625-6600 x 2059 or ADA@somervillema.gov.

Language access: The City of Somerville can provide you with an interpreter in your language for free. To request an interpreter, please contact us at languageaccess@somervillema.gov or call 311 (617-666-3311) at least 7 days in advance of this event.