Special to the Times-Free Press
Maverick Landing Community Services (MLCS) announces the launch of East Boston Community Studio, a free, open studio space for collective making, learning, and creative exchange. The studio officially opened to the public on Saturday, Jan17, with ongoing Open Studio hours and free workshops.
East Boston Community Studio grew out of MLCS’s collaboration with artist Gabriel Sosa, Ñ press, and Boston Public Art Triennial, where collective making and publishing were activated in 2025 as part of a site-specific installation at MLCS. From May – November 2025, Ñ press invited residents into an open, participatory creative process rooted in place, experimentation, and shared authorship.
As the work grew beyond the Triennial, it became clear that it required two distinct containers. Ñ press will continue its work as a community-centered publishing platform at MLCS, while East Boston Community Studio now holds the open, collective, community-wide studio practice, stewarded by MLCS as a long-term public resource.
“We saw something powerful emerge through the Triennial and our collaboration with Ñ press ” said Rita Lara, Executive Director. “Participation was organic and sustained. East Boston Community Studio allows that practice to remain free, open, and ongoing—rooted here, and accessible to the whole community and led by Ñ press member Iz Hall, who was recently hired as an artist-in-residence at MLCS.
East Boston Community Studio will continue a Saturday Open Studio with an integrated series of free workshops. The launch marks the transition from a time-bound installation to a permanent community offering.
East Boston Community Studio is designed to be inclusive and low-barrier. No prior experience is required, and participation is free. The studio centers collective creativity as a tool for connection, expression, and belonging.
The launch on Saturday the 17th invited community members to visit the studio, meet artists, and participate in Open Studio.
For more information, visit www.mlcsboston.org or follow MLCS on Instagram @mlcsboston
Maverick Landing Community Services is a place-based community anchor in East Boston, connecting residents to services, culture, and opportunities.
Led by Gabriel Sosa, Ñ press is and community-centered publishing platform focused on connection, activism, and education.