ARTS AT THE ARMORY

Arts at the Armory is a nonprofit multi-purpose arts venue at 191 Highland Avenue in Somerville, Massachusetts, located between Davis and Union Squares. The facility houses flexible-configuration spaces ranging from a 52-seat Cafe to a 60-80 person Mezzanine to a 250-395 person Performance Hall. The organization hosts over 750 events per year across music, dance, theater, literary arts, visual arts, film, circus, and comedy.

Programming includes concerts, community markets, art exhibitions, classes, and private events. The building also provides studio spaces for artists, galleries, two live/work artist units, and offices for arts organizations. The Performance Hall accommodates both standing and seated configurations.

The Armory was built in 1903 by George A. Moore to house the Somerville Light Infantry of the Massachusetts Volunteer Militia. It later housed the Massachusetts National Guard for nearly 70 years. The building sat largely vacant from approximately 1975 to 2004 until the state sold it, and it reopened as a community arts center in 2008. In 2021, the City of Somerville approved a $5 million eminent domain purchase to maintain it as an arts facility.