New Mix of Arts & Culture Tenants Selected for Somerville Armory

The City of Somerville is announcing the inaugural group of artists, organizations, and creative businesses that will call the Somerville Armory home in its new formation as the City’s first publicly owned arts and culture center.  

“This is a big step forward for the Armory and for Somerville’s arts community,” said Mayor Jake Wilson. “The Armory means so much to so many people, and this next chapter will help bring new energy and activity into the building while staying grounded in the long-term vision our community helped build. I’m especially grateful to the Armory Advisory Board for volunteering their time, expertise, and care throughout this process.” 

The selected awardees, which applied through a formal process, include a mix of arts organizations, creative businesses, independent artists, educators, and cultural space operators. Together, they will help build on long-standing arts uses as well as bring new activity, programming, and creative energy into the Armory while supporting the building’s role as an important community asset. 

The selected awardees are: 

• Acoustic Strings of New England provides expert advice and resources for customers seeking to rent, own, repair, and learn to play violin, viola, cello, and double bass. 
• BADD Architect produces spatial art and sculptural installations and will use the Armory as an incubator for conceptual design and physical assembly. 
• Birch Lo creates immersive artistic experiences that bring poetry to new and unique physical modalities. 
• The Center for Arts at the Armory hosts arts and cultural events of all sorts and serves as a local hub bringing people together and promoting the creative economy. 
• Dead Moon Audio supports the music production process from incubation to presentation, helping local artists reach their audiences. 
• LARP Adventure Program combines theater and acting instruction, movement-based performance, narrative development work, and more to create novel and exciting youth programming. 
• Luke Nonas-Hunter is creating an accessible tap dance studio. 
• ReCreate will open an accessible community makerspace dedicated to repair, upcycling, and skill-building in the Armory, with an added focus on serving artists’ unique repair needs. 

“Much gratitude to the Armory Advisory Board for volunteering their time. Huge thanks to City staff for working with me throughout this process,” said Ward 5 City Councilor Naima Sait. “Congratulations to all the awardees. This is a significant step forward for the Armory and the Somerville arts community. The leases will ensure stability and success for both existing tenants and new tenants.” 

“We’re excited about the new energy coming to the Armory and look forward to supporting its next chapter as a vital home for arts, culture, and community in Somerville,” said the Armory Advisory Board in a group statement. 

Next Steps 

The City will now move into the next phase of the process, including finalizing lease agreements and planning move-ins with selected awardees. Any future programming or use of remaining vacant spaces will be considered only after all possible awards through the current process have been completed.  

The City and the Armory Advisory Board look forward to working with tenants and the broader community to shape future programming in the building, including opportunities such as artist residencies, collaborative projects, and other initiatives that strengthen the Armory's role as a vibrant center for creativity and community for all ages. 

“This marks an exciting milestone in implementing the Armory Master Plan and ensuring the building serves as a thriving center for arts, culture, and community," said Somerville Arts & Culture Interim Director Rachel Strutt. “As the Armory continues to evolve, we're committed to supporting the many artists, dancers, and creative communities that make this space so special, including continuing our work with those who participated in the Arts and Culture Division’s interim programming while we planned for this next phase.”  

The Armory Master Plan 

Established as a cultural arts center by a private owner in 2008, the City spared the Armory building from permanent closure during the pandemic by acquiring the building in 2021 and providing Covid recovery grants to eligible tenants.  

The purchase launched a broad public process leading to plans to transform the private space into a thriving, publicly secured arts hub – the City’s first public cultural space. Welcoming this set of tenants – including a mix of former and new – is the culmination of that work. 

The awards follow a public request for proposals (RFP) process guided by the Armory Master Plan and the procurement requirements for use of the City-owned building. Proposals were reviewed according to the criteria included in the RFP, including alignment with the Armory Master Plan, facility limitations, financial feasibility, public benefit, and contribution to the building’s overall arts and community ecosystem. 

To learn more, visit voice.somervillema.gov/armory-master-plan 

 Persons with disabilities can request accommodations to access the programs, activities, and meetings of the City of Somerville by contacting the ADA Coordinator at 617-625-6600 x 2059 or ADA@somervillema.gov in advance of the event. 

If you need assistance understanding this information, please contact us at languageaccess@somervillema.gov or call 311 (617-666-3311). The City of Somerville can provide you with an interpreter for free.