Supporting Boston's arts community this holiday season

Boston’s artists and creative businesses have been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic this year, and they need our support now more than ever.

Shopping local for the holidays is a great way to alleviate some of the financial losses and hardships the arts community has faced. Here are some great options to explore when searching for holiday gifts this year:

The Boston Women’s Market Holiday Shop features a vast array of gifts and artwork created by women artists, makers and business owners in New England.
Harvard Ed Portal’s Allston-Brighton Winter Market is happening virtually this year. The marketplace celebrates local creative entrepreneurship by uniting buyers with fine art and handcrafted gifts. In addition to physical artwork, this year the market will also feature experiences like workshops and interactive online programming.
Dorchester Art Project’s new storefront at 1486 Dorchester Ave. features a variety of vinyl, tapes, clothing, and visual art by local artists. It’s open Wednesdays through Saturdays this month from 12-8 p.m. and Sundays from 12-6 p.m. They also recently launched an online store.
Black Market is hosting Black Joy Market at 2136 Washington Street in Roxbury every Saturday from November 28 through December 19. Experience a curated selection of local vendors while listening to a holiday playlist composed by Roxbury Sound System.
SOWA’s Winter Pop-Up hosted by Wyllo will feature items by local female artists and makers. The pop-up is located directly across the street from Wyllo's main boutique at 65 Thayer Street, and will run Wednesdays through Sundays from 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. until December 20.
CraftBoston Holiday 2020 presented by the Society of Arts + Crafts celebrates craft artists and the work they make. Shop fine handmade goods at the online store and check out some of their virtual events.
GK! Market is a new digital marketplace for local diverse and inclusive businesses. It’s free to use, and you can filter by women-owned businesses, LGBTQ-owned businesses, Black-owned businesses, and more.
The Jameson & Thompson Winter Market in Jamaica Plain will bring together 8-10 vendors to show their locally sourced, handmade products every Sunday from Thanksgiving until Christmas.
The Boston Globe, Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, and Small Business Strong are hosting Shop Small Saturday on November 28 from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. This one-day virtual event gives you a chance to browse a broad marketplace and purchase goods and gift cards from local restaurants, shops, and artisans from home.
Attending a virtual event is another great way to support Boston’s arts community during this time. We have a list of upcoming virtual events, and we also encourage you to take a look at ArtsBoston’s virtual events calendar.