Jan 12, 2022Finding Home In a New Cityby Jesse Tolbert — From time to time we like to invite community members to contribute to our blog. Jesse Tolbert is an actor, play-write, and a former Boston and Somerville resident. On a warm September morning, he walked into CultureHouse HQ in Union Square and asked us about our work. Interested in the…Cities5 min readCities5 min read
Oct 18, 2021Work from NatureBy Li Fan The Beginning Like many people in the pandemic, I spent an increasing amount of time outdoors and discovered nature to be a respite for the eyes and inspiration for the mind. …Work From Anywhere4 min readWork From Anywhere4 min read
Aug 20, 2021Malls For Community Development: Past, Present, and PossibilitiesBy Wynnie Gross — CultureHouse Intern, Spring 2021 Since their conception in the 1950s, Malls have been closely linked to the development of American consumerism and modern culture. But malls are dying. The COVID-19 pandemic only accelerated a demise that was underway. …Urbanism5 min readUrbanism5 min read
Jun 3, 2021We Need Queer UrbanismBy Aaron Greiner — CultureHouse Founder and Director — At CultureHouse, we create spaces that defy norms. We often describe our community pop-ups as indoor public parks, communal living rooms, and third spaces. We do this because there is no clear parallel to existing infrastructure that exactly matches what our pop-ups encompass. …LGBTQ5 min readLGBTQ5 min read
Oct 5, 2020Outdoor Heaters: Transitioning Your Space for Cold WeatherWhen it became clear that the impacts of COVID-19 were more than just temporary, outdoor dining and gathering became an important solution for allowing restaurants and community organizations to stay open. However, the changing seasons threaten the sustainability of this important economic and social solution. As the days get colder…Heaters6 min readHeaters6 min read
Jul 20, 2020How Public Art Makes Spaces into PlacesIf you find yourself strolling through Harvard Square on a summer afternoon, you might notice two murals on the CultureHouse Harvard kiosk. On your left, the lush and vibrant colors of a mural by Valerie Imparato will draw your eyes to the three beautiful Black women gazing out into the…Urbanism5 min readUrbanism5 min read
Jul 13, 2020How Do We Find the “New Normal” in Indoor Public Spaces?By Andrew Schnurr Over the past few months, you’ve seen people reciting the mantra, “This too shall pass.” It’s true that these challenging times will resolve, but we must also acknowledge their impacts will remain for a long time. Looking at the world through the lens of public life, few…Public Space6 min readPublic Space6 min read
Jul 8, 2020Creating Vibrancy in the Canal DistrictOn the evening of July 6th, 2019, over 60 people came to a previously-vacant storefront on an otherwise-empty street in Kendall Square’s Canal District to just… hang out. On that rainy Saturday, they played ping pong, drank free tea, made tie-dyed t-shirts, and spilled out onto the sidewalk. They brought…Cambridge5 min readCambridge5 min read
Jun 24, 2020Q&A with Artist Valerie ImparatoCultureHouse Harvard is home to a new piece of public art, created by Cambridge-based artist Valerie Imparato and funded by Cambridge Arts. We asked Valerie about her inspirations, her artistic process, and her hopes for her newest mural. A lot of your artwork, including this mural, features women of color…Mural5 min readMural5 min read
Jun 15, 2020Q&A with “Signs of COVID-19” Photographer, Jeff Larason“Signs of COVID-19” is a series of photographs on display in the windows of CultureHouse Harvard and online at cloud.culturehouse.cc/gallery. Prints are available with a $50 donation to CultureHouse, a nonprofit that creates pop-up community spaces in vacant storefronts. $25 of every donation will go to Black Lives Matter Boston. …Photography3 min readPhotography3 min read
