249 A Street Artists Cooperative (Residence)

249 A Street Artists Cooperative is a limited-equity live/work cooperative for artists in Fort Point, billed as the first of its kind in Massachusetts. The building is home to more than 45 artists and their families, and it has served as a model for artists’ housing nationwide. It was also key to the growth of the Fort Point Artists Community when that organization formed in 1983, tying the cooperative to the neighborhood’s arts scene from early on.

The cooperative also runs the Gallery at 249 A, described as an evolving project that hosts rotating art exhibitions and special arts events. The gallery presents artists working in all media, including painting, photography, printmaking, ceramics, jewelry, sculpture, mixed media, film, video and installation. Exhibitions typically run for several weeks at a time, and the gallery holds opening receptions and welcomes visitors during the neighborhood’s open studios.

What to Know

• Gallery programs are fiscally sponsored by the Arts & Business Council of Greater Boston.
• Funding for the gallery comes in part from the South Boston Community Development Foundation and the City of Boston’s Project 80 Fund.
• The gallery accepts donations to support its programming.