Closed
Thank you for a wonderful five months!
January 10th–June 9th 2024
64 Union Square, Somerville, MA
To test ideas for a future community center, CultureHouse Union Square transformed a vacant storefront in the main square into a five-month pop-up community space. Working alongside the Union Square Neighborhood Council, this free-to-enter intergenerational pop-up was a public space pilot, a living room for the community, a resource center, and an arts, culture, and business incubator.
What happened
From January 10th to June 9th, 64 Union Square was transformed into a space for the community with various kinds of programming, including performances, local vendors, art workshops, office hours with City Councilors, community group meet-ups, documentary nights, game nights, and so much more! Over the 110 days we were open, we hosted 139 events and had a total number of 3114 visitors.
Community meeting
We will be hosting a community meeting to share the learnings from the impact report. Keep an eye out on the website and newsletter for date and registration details.
On November 30th, 2023, we hosted a hybrid community meeting on Zoom and at CultureHouse HQ. This meeting was attended by people who live, work, and frequently visit Union Square. We shared updates about the project and engaged in a design activity to learn about everyone’s ideal day at the pop-up! Check out the link below to see what was discussed and hear the amazing ideas we heard from the community.
Advisory group
Over the next few months, we will work closely with a team of local artists, residents, institutions, and businesses to give us feedback on the project and steer its direction.
Carven Boursiquot
Resident, homeowner, artist/creative, Carven Creative Media
Jennifer Park
Resident, homeowner
Lotus Martinez
Resident, renter, artist/creative
W Gavin Robb
Architect, Educator, Activist
Emma Lee
Resident, renter
Joshua Williams
Three-year resident of Somerville
Suhail Purkar
Resident, renter
Union Square Main Streets
Jessica Eshleman, Executive Director
Michael Robles, Small Business Liaison
Kait Stinchcomb, ARPA Managing Director
Gonzalo Puigbo
CEO Somerville Community Corporation
Monia Fernandez
Business owner, MOTA Fitness, Wellness & Spaces
Tammi Chen
Resident, renter
Union Square Neighborhood Council
Ann Camara
Isabella Drago
Michèle Hansen
What’s happening?
Where we’re at
The pop-up is now closed, but our work is not done yet! Over the next few months, we will be working to analyze all the data and feedback that we received from visitors and partners about their experiences at the pop-up. The impact report will use these data to inform recommendations and next steps for the Union Square Neighborhood Council to advocate for a future community center in the neighborhood.
Contact
Want to get involved in the project? Email us at unionsquare@culturehouse.cc.
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Partners
