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
- Nightlife programs celebrating Boston's culturesResident asks for more nightlife programs highlighting Boston's different cultures to bring people of all backgrounds into the city.2026–27City-wideSubmitted in Korean
- Oldies concerts and bands for seniorsResident proposes bands and oldies-but-goodies concerts aimed at older adults but open to all, starting in one neighborhood and expanding citywide.2026–27City-wideSubmitted in Korean
- Yearly summer rock and metal showThe resident asks the City to launch an annual summer rock and metal music show.2026–27City-wideSubmitted in Korean
- Arts district on Western AvenueThe resident asks for Western Avenue in Allston and Brighton to become an arts district decorated and worked on by local creative neighbors.2026–27Brighton
- Universal basic income for artistsThe resident asks for a City of Boston basic income program for artists, who they say are underpaid and undervalued, leaving many artistic viewpoints unseen.2026–27City-wide
- Portuguese and Puerto Rican music festivalResident proposes an Allston-Brighton music festival celebrating Portuguese and Puerto Rican music.2026–27Allston
- Make Western Avenue an art districtResident asks for Western Avenue to become an art district.2026–27Brighton
- Make Western Avenue an arts districtResident asks for Western Avenue to be designated and developed as an arts district.2026–27Brighton
- Grants for Allston-Brighton walking toursResident proposes grants for people to lead walking tours of the Brighton and Allston Main Streets districts to get more people moving around the community.2026–27Allston
- Citywide murals by local artistsResident proposes adding culturally appropriate murals across Boston, hired from local artists, to beautify the city, support artists and boost tourism.2026–27City-wide
- Dance and art programs for teens in dedicated spacesResident asks for teens to be encouraged to take part in dance and art in specially equipped spaces, so everyone can participate.2026–27City-wide
- Cultural music concerts across the cityResident asks for concerts showcasing music from different cultural groups, to represent them and financially support and sustain their cultures.2026–27City-wide
- Cultural music performances across the cityResident asks for cultural music performances to be held in neighborhoods across Boston.2026–27City-wide
- Community music to reconnect neighborsResident asks for community music programs to rebuild connections lost since the pandemic and encourage respect and empathy outside school or work settings.2026–27City-wide
- North End placards telling all immigrant storiesThe resident asks for neighborhood placards and storytelling that broaden North End history beyond Colonial and Italian settlement to include all immigrant stories.2026–27North End
- More free arts events on Boston CommonThe resident asks for more free theater, art, music and dance on Boston Common, like the Shakespeare in the park, as an equalizer that also benefits the city.2026–27Beacon Hill
- More art and cultureResident asks the City to provide more art and culture.2026–27Downtown
- Bring back the Bean Town Jazz FestResident asks the City to help revive the Bean Town Jazz Fest, previously run with Berklee, hiring professional musicians to celebrate Black art and bring the neighborhood together.2026–27South End
- Sewing groups for all agesResident asks for sewing groups open to people of all ages.2026–27City-wideSubmitted in Spanish
- Arts and theater community centers in MattapanCreate community centers in Mattapan with visual arts and performing theater to empower local artists of color and advance the community through the arts.2025–26MattapanSubmitted in Spanish