arts economy Archives - Cambridge | Somerville Independent

Once jamming at Johnny D’s, Lydia Warren returns to Somerville as its arts and culture director

by Marc Levy October 21, 2026

An Arts Town Hall is planned for Dec. 8 so residents can meet Warren and new board members and hear a report back on the Mayor’s Arts Listening Tour.

NEWS

Somerville meetings, Oct. 12-19: Residents react on civilian oversight of police

by Marc Levy October 11, 2026

Take part in meetings on civilian oversight for police, construction parking permits, snow-clearing in the coming winter and finding the next city arts leader.

ARTS

Ready or not, The Platform is bringing more nightlife to Kendall Square

by Michael Gutierrez October 3, 2026

Global Arts Live finds a home at a new venue in a neighborhood known more for offices than entertainment, and hopes its subscribers will follow.

ARTS

Jason Weeks, head of Cambridge Arts for a quarter-century, is retiring and heading to Nantucket

by Marc Levy September 29, 2026

The executive director of Cambridge Arts, Jason Weeks, retires at the end of October. Like neighboring Somerville, the city will see new arts leadership after a quarter-century.

NEWS

Cambridge meetings, Sept. 28-Oct. 5: Property taxes, bike lanes to Belmont and Barron Plaza reopens

by Marc Levy September 27, 2026

Take part in meetings on property taxes, a water crisis and transportation issues, Central Square arts and culture and its Barron Plaza and Lamplighter’s ownership change.

BUSINESS

Most Armory arts building leases are approved, but Somerville lacks a plan to fill its remaining spaces

by Marc Levy September 23, 2026

An argument for giving more responsibility to Arts at the Armory, the building’s longtime nonprofit anchor tenant, comes at staff from three directions.

ART AND DESIGN

Davis Square’s pop-up art gallery opens in October under the name The Diamond Factory

by Marc Levy September 22, 2026

There’s a name and opening date for the pop-up art gallery coming to Davis Square, filling a former Starbucks coffee shop space empty for the past year.

ART AND DESIGN

Cambridge Arts draws attention to this weekend’s Open Studios, mapping the city’s visual creativity

by Marc Levy September 15, 2026

The peek inside artists’ spaces and processes known as Cambridge Open Studios is this weekend, and the city’s arts agency is doing its best to make sure people know.

ART AND DESIGN

Davis Square’s former Starbucks space will host an art gallery

by Marc Levy September 14, 2026

A pop-up art gallery will fill the space of a Starbucks coffee shop that closed a year ago in Somerville’s Davis Square with the help of Susan Berstler of the Nave Gallery.

NEWS

After Food Nation and Honk!, Davis Square project looks at funding from a parking improvement district (updated)

by Marc Levy September 9, 2026

The group working to revive Davis Square is feeling good about its first five months, preparing for a big end to its first season and already looking at what’s coming in 2027.