Is Brockton becoming the new arts district of the greater Boston area?
Well, Allston, Somerville, Cambridge, and JP might have something to say about that, but those four neighborhoods also don’t have brand new affordable Live-Work apartment complexes built specifically for artists.
Enso Flats, located at Enterprise Center in downtown Brockton, boasts 42 units designed to meet the needs of an artistic community, both as a living and a working space. This includes communal work areas and a state-of-the-art gallery space.
“We’re excited to announce that we are now accepting applications for Enso Flats, a unique community that provides artists with the opportunity to live in a welcoming environment that fosters creativity, collaboration and the arts,” said Kate Franco, chief executive officer of Trinity Management, in a release. Trinity will be the managing agent for Enso Flats, and is now accepting applications. “Enso Flats, with its outstanding amenities and convenient location, is the perfect complement to Brockton’s already-thriving arts community.”
If Brockton’s art scene is particularly thriving, it’s difficult to really pick up on. Fortunately, this seems like a good place to start. If the units truly are affordable, it could be a tremendous resource for graduates of places like MassArt or SMFA as well as independent artists, especially given the collaborative atmosphere that it aims to create and its location directly across the street from Brockton Commuter Rail station. Whether or not a collaborative artistic community is something that can be developed and sold is another question. But at the very least, it’s comforting to see an effort being made to foster a creative economy in one of the neighborhoods within a stone’s throw of Boston. And Trinity’s website describes the units as being “geared to artists earning up to 60 percent of Area Median Income.”
“We’ve heard from so many community and business leaders throughout the region about the desire to create more artist live-work spaces, and the goal of Enso Flats is to provide a great space and supportive community so that artists have the opportunity to thrive,” says Kenan Bigby, Vice President of Trinity Financial.
In theory, Enso Flats is a tremendous idea if it can continue to provide resources and inspiration for self-employed artists. Let’s hope that it lives up to this type of goal.
