PRESS CONFERENCE: CREATIVE SPACE PRESERVATION ACT
Media Advisory
MASSCREATIVE TO HOLD PRESS CONFERENCE WITH SENATOR LIZ MIRANDA AND REPRESENTATIVE DAN CAHILL ON CREATIVE SPACE PRESERVATION ACT
WHEN:
Tuesday, September 19th, 2023 at 11 AM
WHERE:
The Muse
336 Blue Hill Avenue
Boston, MA 02121
Parking is available.
WHAT: The MASSCreative Action Network invites you to join Senator Liz Miranda and Representative Dan Cahill for a press conference on H.3241/S.530, An Act to preserve space for the creative economy, known as the Creative Space Preservation Act.
Throughout Massachusetts, there exists an unsettling trend of lost creative and rehearsal spaces to higher rents and developer acquisition. In the last five to seven years in the City of Boston alone, at least 300 artists and creative workers have been impacted by the loss of 100,000 square feet of cultural production space, including studios, rehearsal space, live music venues, gathering spaces and specialized retail venues. This problem extends beyond Boston and without urgent intervention, the loss of access to affordable creative spaces will force artists, creative workers, and artisans to relocate, devastating downtowns and main streets across the Commonwealth.
H.3241/S.530 would create a defined property restriction for creative maker space and performance or exhibition space by using successful conservation land and affordable housing preservation law as its model. It would also allow cities and towns to establish trust funds to hold assets and property for the creation and preservation of creative spaces, giving them more tools to keep artists in place.
The Creative Space Preservation Act is endorsed by 45 cultural organizations and 105 individuals throughout Massachusetts, including the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, Cultural Center of Cape Cod Inc., Lynn Museums, Cambridge Arts Council, ArtsWorcester, Creative Haverhill, and New England Foundation for the Arts.
Speakers will include Marc Draisen from the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, Malik Williams, owner and operator of Reel Sync Music and Liptunes Music, and Ami Bennitt of the #ARTSTAYHERE Coalition.
Registration is encouraged but not required. Register for the press conference HERE.
See the bill fact sheet HERE.
Contact information for the press conference:
Kelsey Rode
Director of External Relations, MASSCreative
krode@mass-creative.org
413-206-6451
