PAST ACTION: CREATIVE SPACE AND PLACE ACT HEARING

Advocacy: State
Written By Kelsey Rode

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Art making at the 2025 Creative Sector Summit. Photography by Steph Craig Studios.

 

On Tuesday, October 21st, the Joint Committee on Tourism, Arts and Cultural Development held a hybrid hearing on the Creative Space Act and PLACE Act.

 
 

ABOUT THE CREATIVE SPACE ACT

 
CREATIVE SPACE ACT FACT SHEET
 

H.3587/S.2334, An Act to grow and maintain space in cities and towns for the creative economy, or the “Creative Space Act,” will establish “creative space” and “presentation space” definitions to protect and develop new creative production and exhibition spaces in Massachusetts. The Creative Space Act also establishes the option for municipalities to create their own Municipal Creative Space Trust Fund to acquire, purchase, maintain, and otherwise hold onto creative maker space assets.

The Creative Space Act is endorsed by 173 artists and 54 cultural organizations across Massachusetts. It was recently endorsed by the Boston Globe’s Editorial Board. Read about their endorsement here:

 
GLOBE ENDORSES CREATIVE SPACE ACT
 

ABOUT THE PLACE ACT

 

H.3592/S.2332, An Act establishing a program for local art and community engagement, or the “PLACE Act,” creates a percent-for-public-art program in Massachusetts. If this bill passes, a percentage of public construction costs spent on Commonwealth-owned property would go to a public art fund to create and maintain public art. This bill creates a commission with representation from the creative community to set the criteria for eligible public art projects. 

 
PLACE ACT FACT SHEET
 
 

HOW YOU CAN HELP

 

This hearing was the next step in advancing the Creative Space Act and PLACE Act. Thank you to all of the advocates who testified in support of these bills!

We still need you to take action in the following ways:

  1. Submit written testimony to the Committee

  2. Ask your State Representative and State Senator to co-sponsor the Creative Space and PLACE Acts

  3. Make sure that you are endorsing the Creative Space and PLACE Acts

 

READ MORE:

 

  • We strongly encourage all advocates to submit written testimony to the Committee. You should submit testimony whether you testified at the hearing or not.

    We created guides and testimony templates to make it easier for you to submit written testimony. The templates are only meant to be templates - be sure to customize your testimony with stories and data of your own.

    Written Testimony Guide

    Creative Space Act Testimony Template

    PLACE Act Testimony Template

    Tip: if you plan to submit testimony on both bills, you can share your support for both in one letter to the Committee. Make sure to state all of the bill numbers you are writing about.

    You can submit written testimony to the Joint Committee on Tourism, Arts and Cultural Development by emailing the Committee’s House Research Director and the Senate Chair’s Staff at JointCommittee.Tourism&CulturalDevelopment@malegislature.gov.

    Please use the subject line “Written Testimony – TACD 10/21/25”.

  • Building support in the House and Senate is a crucial part of advocacy. We are pleased that the following legislators are already signed on as co-sponsors -

    Creative Space Act: Rep. Christopher Markey, Rep. Samantha Montaño, Rep. Tara Hong, Rep. Erika Uyterhoeven, Rep. Lindsay Sabadosa, Rep. Amy Mah Sangiolo, Rep. Natalie Blais, Rep. Mark Sylvia, Rep. Sean Reid, Rep. Carmine Gentile, Sen. Bruce Tarr, Sen. Jamie Eldridge, Sen. Brendan Crighton, and Sen. Sal DiDomenico.

    PLACE Act:Rep. Natalie Blais, Rep. John Gaskey, Rep. Carmine Gentile, Rep. Jessica Ann Giannino, Rep. Natalie Higgins, Rep. Tara Hong, Rep. Samantha Montaño, Rep. Lindsay Sabadosa, Rep. Amy Mah Sangiolo, Rep. Erika Uyterhoeven, Sen. Jamie Eldridge, Sen. Adam Gómez, and Sen. Sal DiDomenico.

    If you don’t see your State Representative or State Senator on these lists, we encourage you to call or email them and ask them to co-sponsor H.3587/S.2334 and H.3592/S.2332.

    If you DO see them on this list, consider contacting them to thank them for their support!

    Not sure who your elected officials are? You can look up your State Representative and State Senator here.

  • By endorsing the Creative Space and PLACE Acts, you are joining a statewide coalition of arts leaders who are committed to fighting for creative maker spaces and placekeeping in Massachusetts. Your endorsement helps us build a case with legislators that there is broad support for these proposals.

    Endorse the Creative Space Act

    Endorse the PLACE Act

 
 
 

RESOURCE HUB: PREPARING FOR THE HEARING

 

We encourage you to use our series of hearing and advocacy resources to feel more confident about advocating for Creative Sector Agenda priorities.

 

TESTIMONY MATERIALS

 

RESOURCES FOR NONPROFITS

 
 
 
Resources
A Guide To Hearing And Giving Testimony

An important part of the governing process is public hearings. These occur on all levels of government (Federal, State, and Local). Understanding the hearing process and how you can participate will make you a more effective advocate for a more equitable and inclusive creative sector.

INSIDE THE STATE BUDGETING PROCESS

Maintaining and increasing public investment in the creative community requires constant and broad grassroots activism throughout the annual budget process.

NonProfit Organizations & Advocacy

There is a lot of misinformation on what a nonprofit can and cannot do when it comes to advocating for its interests and the needs of the communities they serve. Check out our Nonprofits and Advocacy Resource on how your organization effectively and confidently advocate for a more equitable and inclusive creative sector of all residents in the Commonwealth.

6/19/20 - POLICY & ACTION UPDATE WEBINAR

In this webinar, we took time to honor Juneteenth and Pride Month, and talked about the status of arts education funding and voting protections.

6/12/20 - POLICY & ACTION UPDATE WEBINAR

In this webinar, we discussed mapping our roles in a social change ecosystem, talked about proposed legislation to address COVID-19 voting options, the 2020 Census, and reviewed federal and state supports for the creative sector.

6/5/20 - policy & action update webinars

In this webinar, we had a community conversation about mapping our social change roles during times of crisis.

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Kelsey Rode
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PAST ACTION: ACE ACT HEARING ON SEPTEMBER 22ND