Winter 2024 Appeal
Dear Arts Fuse reader:
For over 16 years, The Arts Fuse has brought you independent critical coverage of the arts with writing that is provocative, nuanced, and free for everyone. We cover the local and national stories that need to be told — 900 articles this year, ranging from bold reviews to thoughtful commentaries and interviews.
In today’s media landscape, arts journalism is an endangered species. The Baltimore Sun newspaper recently cut its arts section, features as well as reviews. Most major publications are either the property of billionaires and mega-corporations or need to put their content behind paywalls just to keep going. Stories on arts and culture are obviously not part of their business plans.
Focusing on critical writing rather than marketing bunkum, The Arts Fuse has built a loyal following, leading the way in covering the arts and humanities as they weather difficult times now and to come. We have plans to expand — not contract — our commitment.
But we need your support to keep this one-of-a-kind coverage strong.
Arts Fuse Tee Shirt
For a donation of $135 or more you will receive a nifty Arts Fuse tee shirt. Wear your love of indie arts coverage proudly!
We are proudly nonprofit! 100% of your donations go to our operating costs and to pay our writers so we can remain your independent source for staying abreast of Boston's vibrant arts scene. Sustain a magazine that, approaching its 17th year, is clearly making a real difference.
Why this Appeal?
You, our loyal readers, supply crucial operating support for the magazine's high-quality arts coverage. We have no wealthy donors in the wings sustaining us. Philanthropic organizations fund the MFA and the BSO, but they ignore freethinking cultural journalism. Without your generous contributions, the magazine would not exist. We need to balance our books or join the hundreds of media outlets which have cut back on arts coverage, from NPR to The Boston Globe.
Bottom Line: 17 years of covering the arts as few independent magazines online around the country have — over 9,000 articles — will vanish.
“The Arts Fuse is an invaluable part of Boston’s arts ecosystem. The depth and breadth of coverage set them apart from their peers in arts criticism. More than once, in recent years, they have been the only outlet covering artists and performances of international relevance.”
— Jack Wright, The Celebrity Series
“The Arts Fuse is more than a fuse — it's da bomb! Smart and stimulating, it brings home the value, joy, and depth of the arts.”
— Gish Jen, author
“The Arts Fuse helps us, artists and audiences alike, to better appreciate ourselves as a community as it enriches us culturally. The magazine's support for artists' careers is invaluable.”
— Laszlo Gardony, jazz pianist and composer
“I also just want to tell you how much I love ArtsFuse; it’s such an amazing resource. There’s a real lack of theatre coverage in the Boston area, so your website fills a critical need. I moved to Boston from Chicago three years ago, and at first I really missed Chicago’s vibrant theatre scene. But ArtsFuse has helped me find small theatre companies and excellent things to see here in New England.”
— reader Chelsea Kendall
