Arts & culture
Arts programming, artist support, cultural spaces and neighborhood history and heritage.
Residents want paid, supported local artists, free affordable places to create and perform, and more public art, free cultural events and youth arts across neighborhoods.
Theme grouped and summary written with AI from this theme's resident ideas.
160 ideas across three cycles
| Cycle | Ideas | Share of all ideas | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024–25 | 56 | 4.6% | 11 of 20 |
| 2025–26 | 45 | 3.7% | 13 of 20 |
| 2026–27 | 59 | 4.5% | 10 of 20 |
Needs that keep coming back
Pay and support for local artists
Residents ask for micro-grants, fair pay, mentorship and business training so artists and musicians can sustain their work in Boston.
Raised in 2024–25, 2025–26, 2026–27
Free or low-cost spaces to create, rehearse and show art
Residents want studios, galleries, co-working and performance spaces in vacant storefronts, unused city buildings and neighborhood hubs, especially in Roxbury, Dorchester and Mattapan.
Raised in 2024–25, 2025–26, 2026–27
Free cultural events and performances in neighborhoods
Residents ask for free concerts, festivals and performances in parks and public spaces that reflect Boston's many cultures and reach beyond downtown.
Raised in 2024–25, 2025–26, 2026–27
Murals and public art by local artists
Residents suggest paying local and BIPOC artists to paint murals and install public art that beautifies blank walls and underused spaces.
Raised in 2024–25, 2025–26, 2026–27
Arts and music programs for children and youth
Residents want free or low-cost art, music and dance programs and spaces for young people, including instruments, studios and healing-centered arts.
Raised in 2024–25, 2025–26, 2026–27
2024–25
Ideas centered on murals, performance spaces in parks, new arts hubs and centers, and recognizing neighborhood and First Nations history, with many Dorchester, East Boston and Charlestown ideas.
2025–26
Ideas leaned toward artist-support systems such as micro-grants, a mentor network, a city arts platform and free use of unused city buildings, plus healing-centered art and heritage exhibits.
2026–27
Ideas stressed direct pay for artists, including basic income and fair pay for musicians, and a cluster of Allston-Brighton asks, including a Western Avenue arts district, alongside many music and cultural performance requests.
New in 2026–27
New or growing in 2026-27 are an arts district on Western Avenue in Allston-Brighton, basic income and fair-pay funds for artists, and music in transit stations and senior centers.
Funding so far
No resident-voted winning projects relate to this theme, so none of the recurring asks, including artist funding, affordable creative spaces, free events, murals and youth arts, has been funded through resident vote yet.
Projects are linked to themes by matching each project's description to the themes; this is not an official City classification.
No winning project has addressed this theme yet.
Departments that often lead this work
- Mayor's Office of Arts & Culture
- Boston Public Library
Suggested with AI; not an official assignment of responsibility.
Ideas in Arts & culture
160 ideas
2024–25: 56 · 2025–26: 45 · 2026–27: 59
- Annual Jaylen Brown Day celebrationCelebrate Jaylen Brown Day each July 1 for ten years with a parade, playground basketball tournaments and a parade honoring sports heroes.2026–27City-wide
- Multicultural community festival benefiting homeless sheltersThe resident proposes a community festival with foods from different cultures and activities, with leftover money donated to homeless services and shelters.2026–27City-wide
- Youth music programs for Boston kidsThe resident asks for support for youth music programming, citing benefits for school attendance, achievement and behavior, and names H&H as a leading provider.2026–27City-wide
- Free art classesThe resident asks for free art classes to promote equal access to arts education.2026–27City-wideSubmitted in Korean
- Citywide mural projectCreate a citywide mural project that uses underused spaces and brings neighbors together to contribute to community art.2026–27City-wide
- Multicultural community festivalHold a multicultural festival with food, music, family activities and resources, partnering with food-security and homelessness-support groups to build community connection.2026–27Downtown
- More art programs like painting and bracelet makingResident asks for more art programs, such as bracelet making and painting.2026–27City-wideSubmitted in Korean
- Art and performance spaces on T platformsResident asks for improved performance areas and local art installations on T platforms, using artists local to each station to make transit more enjoyable and support creatives.2026–27Fenway
- Immigrant history merry-go-roundResident proposes a permanent carousel featuring notable immigrants who shaped Boston instead of horses, to share an often overlooked part of the city's history.2026–27East Boston
- Neighborhood Arts Activation Fund for local artistsResident proposes a fund supporting local artists and cultural groups to produce free performances, workshops, public art and events, prioritizing under-utilized neighborhoods and historically excluded artists.2026–27City-wide
- World Unity Landmark with the Sun PoemResident supports the World Unity Landmark showcasing the Sun Poem as a symbol of equality with a message that can impact everyone.2026–27City-wide
- World Unity Landmark showing the Sun PoemResident proposes building a World Unity Landmark displaying the Sun Poem to encourage self-reflection and reduce unconscious bias and prejudice.2026–27South Boston
- Maker spaces with sewing and textile machinesResident asks for more maker spaces equipped with sewing machines and other textile machines, because people enjoy creating and developing skills.2026–27City-wideSubmitted in Korean
- More art creation tools in CopleyResident asks for more art creation tools in Copley, saying people like to create and develop.2026–27City-wideSubmitted in Korean
- Public instrument repair stations with free instrumentsResident asks for public repair stations where apprentices restore donated instruments for free distribution to low-income musicians, also creating paid apprenticeships for local youth.2026–27City-wide
- Mini-stages for local musicians in T stationsResident asks for low-profile, sound-dampened mini-stages in major T transfer stations dedicated to scheduled performances by local musicians.2026–27City-wide
- Donated art supply drop-off and pickup warehouseResident asks for a central warehouse where theaters, production companies and universities donate unused art and lighting supplies for artists to pick up free.2026–27City-wide
- Light and sound art in inactive water infrastructureResident asks to convert inactive municipal water infrastructure into free venues for immersive light art, sound installations and concerts, giving local artists of color affordable space.2026–27City-wide
- Outdoor sculpture exhibits in city building courtyardsResident asks to retrofit underused courtyards of city halls, libraries and administrative buildings with pedestals and lighting for free outdoor sculpture exhibits.2026–27City-wide
- Expand school bus museum on Boston busing historyResident asks to expand a school bus museum from the Boston busing initiative so students can learn about the history of busing, redlining and blockbusting.2026–27City-wide