ADVOCATES TESTIFY ON CREATIVE SPACE AND PLACE ACTS
From left to right: Emily Ruddock and Dr. Annis Sengupta, Director of Arts and Culture at the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC).
On Tuesday, October 21, 2025, the Joint Committee on Tourism, Arts and Cultural Development heard public testimony on H.3587/S.2334, An Act to grow and maintain space in cities and towns for the creative economy, or the “Creative Space Act,” and H.3592/S.2332, An Act establishing a program for local art and community engagement, known as the “PLACE Act.” These bills were developed in partnership through the MASSCreative Action Network, Metropolitan Area Planning Council, and more than 500 arts and culture advocates who provided feedback on the 2025-2026 Creative Sector Agenda. The ACE Act, the third of the coalition’s priority bills, had a hearing in September.
H.3587/S.2334, the “Creative Space Act,” sponsored by Rep. Dan Cahill (D-Lynn) and Sen. Liz Miranda (D-Boston), would present municipalities with an urgently needed tool to confront the cultural displacement crisis in Massachusetts. Since 2011, the Greater Boston region lost over 10.9 million square feet of built industrial space that coincided with a steady loss of creative workspace. In Somerville, 2.75 million square feet of buildings that house creative arts and cultural space continue to face high exposure to development pressure.
This issue extends to beyond Greater Boston: in the final months of 2024, more than 20 artists were forced to leave Easthampton’s Cottage Street Studios, the closure of Mill No. 5 in Lowell forced an established arts community to relocate, and the shuttering of the Star Store in New Bedford displaced students enrolled in the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth’s College of Visual and Performing Arts.
“Development pressures are contributing to the loss of critical workspaces and displacing artists. Since 2011, our region lost over 10.9 million square feet of built industrial space that coincided with a steady loss of creative workspace. H.3587/S.2334 would give municipalities a tool to preserve these spaces by enabling them to establish trust funds to hold assets and property for the creation and preservation of creative spaces if they so choose.”
The Creative Space Act would establish “creative space” and “presentation space” land restrictions to protect and develop new creative production and exhibition spaces in Massachusetts. These definitions borrow from the Affordable Housing Trust Fund model, an already successful program in Massachusetts. The definitions encompass spaces that are primarily used for the creation, practice, presentation, and exhibition of art, culture and creative expression. Their primary uses may include activities such as design, prototyping, writing, rehearsing, composing, and recording, as well as developing, expanding, and maintaining skills and competencies that support creativity. Critically, the creative space restrictions can apply to live and work artist studio housing.
The Creative Space Act is endorsed by 240 individual creatives and cultural organizations across Massachusetts, including Jacobs Pillow Dance Festival, Boston Center for the Arts, New England Foundation for the Arts, and Provincetown Art Association and Museum. The Act was endorsed by the Boston Globe’s Editorial Board in September.
H.3592/S.2332, the “PLACE Act,” sponsored by Rep. Mary Keefe (D-Worcester), Rep. Steve Ultrino (D-Malden), Sen. Paul Mark (D-Becket), and Sen. Robyn Kennedy (D-Worcester), would create a permanent percent-for-public-art program in Massachusetts. 1/2 of 1% of the funds that go to construction or renovation projects of any Commonwealth-owned building or property would go into a fund to create and maintain public art, with a cap of $300,000 per project. Based on estimates from the Five-Year Capital Investment Plan for FY24-FY28, the PLACE Fund is projected to receive $2.5 million over the five-year plan.
The PLACE Act would create a 9-person commission within the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities to administer the PLACE Fund and would include seats for representatives from the Mass Cultural Council, Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Massachusetts Association of Community Development Corporations, Metropolitan Area Planning Council, and individuals who have experience developing public art. The commission will be responsible for overseeing the selection, design, creation, acquisition, installation, maintenance, conservation, and promotion of public art in Massachusetts. The bill includes a provision requiring local advisory groups to determine public art projects and priority would be given to applicants based in Massachusetts.
27 states and territories currently have active percent-for-public-art programs. However, Massachusetts is the only New England state that presently does not have a percent-for-public-art program.
“This legislative agenda was developed through deep partnerships and conversations with artists and creatives across Massachusetts. They’re telling us that they need these policies to continue living, working, and creating in our state. We can’t delay further actions to protect creative maker spaces or invest in placemaking.”
The Creative Space Act and PLACE Act were first introduced in the 2023-2024 legislative session and were reported favorably from the Joint Committee on Tourism, Arts and Cultural Development. Advocates are calling on the Committee to issue favorable reports for the bills again this session and for the Legislature to pass the policies before the end of the 2025-2026 term.
Learn more about the Creative Sector Agenda:
