ARROW STREET ARTS FUND

About

In Fall 2023, in partnership with Arrow Street Arts, we launched the Arrow Street Arts Fund. This fund aims to strengthen the arts and culture ecosystem by providing subsidized use of a newly renovated Arrow Street Arts multi-space venue located at 2 Arrow Street in Harvard Square through their Community Access Program. This partnership aims to increase access to affordable and welcoming arts spaces in Cambridge.

The Arrow Street Arts Fund is driven by a 2018 study, “Boston Performing Arts Facilities Assessment”, which highlights that a key barrier for local artists is the limited access to performance spaces, in part because of the cost of rent and related fees. In 2019, the Cambridge Mayor’s Arts Task Force also documented the increasing displacement of artists in Cambridge, which only worsened during the pandemic.

This fund underlines the Foundation’s commitment to strengthening the creative capacity of arts and culture in Cambridge and plays a part in the Foundation’s larger strategic goal of building social cohesion, by strengthening and diversifying the art and culture ecosystem. In addition to lessening the gap between the needs of artists and the availability of performance spaces, grants will aim to support artists from historically underserved groups and diverse backgrounds.

The Fund has awarded a total of $110,763 to 16 local performing arts groups as of early 2025. Learn more about past grantees below.

Frequently asked questions