Midway Artist Collective Inc. is looking for seasoned professionals with experience in
real estate/real estate finance, affordable housing, development in arts/cultural arena,
legal, public affairs, diversity equity and inclusion or nonprofit strategic management to
serve on our board of directors.
WHO WE ARE
Midway Artist Collective Inc., located at 15 Channel Center Street in Boston, is a Mass.
Chapter 180 nonprofit owner and operator of Midway Studios which provides housing
and creative space in Boston’s Fort Point Channel neighborhood to working artists at
affordable rates. Midway is the largest live-work artist rental building in the Boston area.
Midway is a mixed-use building with 89 live/work studios, 36 of which are income-
restricted, and the remainder set at below the City’s prevailing rates. The ground floor
has 5 commercial spaces that are home to arts-related businesses, including
Boston Lyric Opera, along two art galleries and performance/rehearsal spaces that are
made available to resident artists and the wider arts community.
PROJECT HISTORY
Midway Studios consists of three contiguous Boston Wharf Co. brick-and-beam
warehouses built between 1910-14. This historic property was redeveloped in 2004-
2005 for the purpose of creating affordable housing for local artists who were being
displaced en masse in the 1990s by the rapid growth of the City’s Seaport District. In
2014, a group of resident artists formed a nonprofit corporation and raised funds to
purchase the building to ensure Fort Point would remain a thriving community of artists.
That nonprofit corporation is Midway Artist Collective Inc.
RECENT MILESTONES
Midway has reached two significant milestones. In 2025, we mark the 20th anniversary
of Midway Studios opening its doors. 2024, Midway Artist Collective Inc., the
nonprofit that owns Midway Studios, celebrated 10 years since purchasing the building.
To build on these achievements, we held a multi-modal campaign and exhibition
that tells the story of Midway’s distinctive history and looks ahead to the next 20 years.
Goals include a comprehensive organizational assessment and branding update to strengthen the
organization’s operational and financial future and to ensure Midway Studios is well-
positioned to meet the needs of working artists over the next decade. We recently launched several new arts programs and public-facing initiatives to enhance and expand Midway’s cultural opportunities and reach.
GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE AND DIRECTOR COMMITTMENT
The board comprised of 8 directors — 4 appointed by the City of Boston and 4 elected
by Midway Studios; resident artists. The 4 elected directors are all working artists, with
backgrounds in architecture/design, writing/communications, commercial and residential
property management. The appointees are affordable housing finance and museum
curation. Directors serve 2-year terms, though Appointed Directors may serve for 1 year
if desired. Appointed directors’ terms subject to review by the City of Boston’s Office of
Housing and Office of Arts & Culture. The board is all volunteer and appointed directors are not expected to make any
financial commitment to the organization. The company has no executive director, so
some directors volunteer to help shepherd a specific project or task depending on their
expertise and availability. The board has standing committees on budget/finance,
arts/culture, diversity and building operations, which directors can opt to participate. In
lieu of an ED, the 4 resident elected directors typically keep an eye on the daily
activities of property management, building operations, and field queries from residents
to minimize appointed directors’ time commitment. The full board currently meets once every other month beginning in January. Meetings
are held in the early evening (6pm or 7:30pm) at Midway Studios and typically run 60-90
minutes. Directors are strongly encouraged to attend in person, but remote attendance is
permitted. We also have an advisory Board who help with initiatives but are not required to attend board meetings or vote at Board meetings.
