Dear Friends of Arts at the Armory,

Like many non-profit and arts organizations, small businesses and individuals, the Center for Arts at the Armory will bear a significant financial impact due to COVID-19 and does not have a contingency budget for emergencies like this one. The Center for Arts at the Armory relies almost exclusively on revenue generated from hosting events and running our Café. In response to COVID-19, we have had to cancel events indefinitely, close our Café, and lay off staff. We have a streamlined core of administrative staff working to lay the groundwork for Arts at the Armory’s future, which will only possible with your support.

Over the past decade, Arts at the Armory has served Somerville, Greater Boston and beyond as an accessible and inclusive venue for arts and cultural events, markets, exhibitions, classes, camps and more. In order to stabilize our organization and springboard into the new decade, Arts at the Armory has launched an Arts at the Armory COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund so that we can continue to offer our community access to a multitude of inspiring events, and an affordably priced venue for arts and cultural programming. Our goal is to raise $25,000 in 90 days – gifts of all sizes are needed and appreciated as we seek to meet fixed costs necessary to operate our spaces and our organization during this period and prepare to reopen.

When things get back to normal and we recover from the COVID-19 pandemic – and yes, we must believe that day is coming! – The Center for Arts at the Armory will be more important to our community than ever before. Our historical and magical building is a nexus of arts, culture and community – three ingredients that will be key to our COVID-19 healing process. We can already anticipate the ways in which the Armory will bring people together to commune in the therapeutic nature of live performance, cultural richness and participatory arts.

In a world without COVID-19, our beloved Armory Café is busy every night of the week and every weekend as a safe and inclusive space where one might wander in to find a session led by Queer Tango, a reading by First and Last Word Poetry, or a community jam with Strummerville. In addition to our own Somerville Winter Farmers Market, Arts at the Armory hosts dozens of markets each year, which promote the creative economy, local businesses and community economic development. On any given week our main hall welcomes hundreds of people from Greater Boston to enjoy national touring acts, cultural fairs, podcasts, circus artists suspended from silks, and contemporary dance that makes us question our assumptions.

Thank you in advance for supporting one of Somerville’s most important cultural assets during this critical and unexpected time. Your contribution today will make it possible for us to open up our doors, turn on the lights and welcome you back to the Armory again soon.

With our gratitude and wishes for well-being during this time,

Stephanie Scherpf

Executive Director

The Center for Arts at the Armory, 91 Highland Ave. Suite 1-C Somerville, MA 02143, www.artsatthearmory.org

To donate go to: https://fundraising.fracturedatlas.org/the-center-for-arts-at-the-armory/campaigns/3510

The Center for Arts at the Armory is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-­profit arts service organization. Contributions for the charitable purposes of The Center for Arts at the Armory must be made payable to “Fractured Atlas” only and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.