Somerville Seeks Community Input on First-of-Its-Kind Cultural Trust

Update: The three-part public meeting series begins Wednesday, August 5. With additional meetings on Wednesday, August 12, and Tuesday, September 8.

The City of Somerville is inviting residents, artists, cultural organizations, and creative businesses to help shape what could become the first Municipal Cultural Trust in Massachusetts, a new tool designed to protect affordable creative space and prevent artist displacement. 

No Massachusetts municipality has established a Cultural Trust, and current state law does not expressly authorize municipalities to create one. State legislators are considering the Creative Space Act, which would establish a statewide framework for municipal cultural trusts. If that legislation does not pass, Somerville is prepared to explore its own local option. 

“Somerville has always been home to artists, and we intend to keep it that way,” said Mayor Jake Wilson. “A thriving creative ecosystem is a big part of why people want to live, work, and build a life here. A Cultural Trust can provide a lasting way to ensure the people who helped put Somerville on the map aren’t the ones priced out of it.” 

What Is a Municipal Cultural Trust? 

Modeled in part on Somerville’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund and Job Creation and Retention Trust, a Municipal Cultural Trust could have the authority to: 

• Raise and hold funds dedicated to arts and creative space
• Accept donations, grants, and development contributions
• Purchase or protect properties for long-term arts use
• Provide grants or investments to prevent artist displacement; and 
• Support the creation and preservation of affordable cultural space

The trust would be overseen by a dedicated board that could include City officials, artists, and community members, giving people directly affected by creative displacement a role in its decisions.  

Community Meeting Series 

The three-part meeting series begins Tuesday, August 5. Each meeting will focus on a different stage of the Cultural Trust discussion. 
 

Community Launch Session 

• Date/Time: August 5, 6 p.m. 
• Location: Somerville Central Library (79 Highland Ave.) 
• Focus: City staff will explain what it could mean to establish a Municipal Cultural Trust, present findings from Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) initial research, gather early community feedback, and provide an opportunity for questions. 

Cultural Trust 101 Panel hosted by #ARTSTAYSHERE 

• Date/Time: August 12, 6 p.m. 
• Location: Somerville Museum (1 Westwood Rd.) 
• Focus: Panel discussion examining tools and models available for preserving creative space, including practical strategies that could be adapted to Somerville’s needs. Panelists from: Somerville Arts & Culture, MASSCreative, MAPC & the Arts & Business Council of Greater Boston. 

Shape the Trust 

• Date/Time: September 8, 6 p.m. 
• Location: Somerville Music Spaces (1060 Broadway C101B) 
• Focus: A working session focused on how a Municipal Cultural Trust could function. Participants will be invited to consider the trust’s structure, governance, funding priorities, and how artists and community members should participate in its decisions. 

Why Somerville Is Exploring a Cultural Trust 

The City has long used zoning, planning, funding, and other policy tools to help preserve its dense network of artist studios, performance venues, cultural organizations, and local creative businesses. However, several local and regional planning efforts have identified the need for an additional tool that would allow Somerville to act more consistently and proactively. 

In 2022, the City partnered with MAPC on the Somerville Art Space Risk Assessment, which recommended developing additional tools to preserve and expand affordable creative space. That same year, Somerville joined Boston and Cambridge in MAPC’s regional Making Space for Art study, which identified the need for stronger municipal tools to finance, develop, and manage cultural spaces. 

Somerville has successfully preserved important creative spaces, but those efforts have often required complicated, case-by-case interventions. A Municipal Cultural Trust could create a more consistent and replicable way to protect creative properties and keep them affordable over the long term. 

To learn more or sign up for updates, visit somervilleartscouncil.org/cultural-trust. 

 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.