Community Service Award

This award recognizes individuals or organizations who have served the city of Somerville through their support of local arts, history and/or culture. This work may take place independently or in partnership with the Somerville Museum. The Somerville Museum limits the number of recipients to no more than three each year.

2023 Awards 

Honk! Festival

For their dedication to the community through their music and passion. Learn more about the organization: https://honkfest.org

2022 Awards 

Jier Yang + Jared Barbaresi

For their dedication to the museum through volunteer hours, projects, and support. Jier and Jared have been volunteers for many years and have helped with many aspects of the museum’s operations, from covering the front desk during open hours, to website projects, and event support.

Elio LoRusso

Elio LoRusso is the founder and owner of Somerville Ornamental Iron Work Inc. which was founded over 40 years ago. Elio has been a steadfast supporter of the museum and has generously donated the garden fence to help the museum finalize their renovation plans.

Zach Baum + Bow Market

Zach is a partner of Bow Market in Union Square, an innovative retail and community space. Zach has served on the 21st Century Club committee to help the museum through the Access for All & More Campaign and continues to be a community partner of the museum - donating space at Bow Market for the Reading Frederick Douglass Together program every year, among other projects.

2021 Awards 

Somerville Kiwanis Club

The Kiwanis Club is a service club that focuses on helping children. The Club holds fundraisers for the local Head Start Program, donates books to Somerville classrooms, gives college scholarships to deserving Somerville High School students, presents history lessons with the help of local actors, tunes up children’s bikes for safer play and has donated hundreds of backpacks filled with school supplies to local kids. Kiwanis member and Vice District Governor Haley Adams received the award on behalf of the Kiwanis Club, which was also attended by Kiwanis members Jim Bowdring and daughter Jillian Bowdring. Former Somerville Mayor Gene Brune, also a Kiwanis member, said that the Kiwanis Club “provides tremendous service to the city.”

Vijay Batavia

Community Service Awards were also given to Vijay Batavia from J P Morgan Chase who has assisted the Museum in managing the increasing complexity of its finances with kindness, wisdom and professionalism. 

Barbara Fash, Tatiana Shannon & Cynthia Frawley

Cynthia Frawley, Barbara Fash, Tatiana Shannon received a joint award for spending hundreds of volunteer hours inventorying and packing over 400 historic textiles in the Museum’s collection so they could be moved and stored offsite to protect them during the Museum’s construction project. With great care, they made it possible to keep these items safe during the museum’s historic renovation.

2020 Awards 

Somerville High School Local History Club

In appreciation of teacher Adda Maria Santos and participating students for work on The Basement Project exhibit and related events.

Co-Producers of the “Faith in a City” project

This award recognizes individuals or organizations who have served the city of Somerville through their support of local arts, history and/or culture. This work may take place independently or in partnership with the Somerville Museum. The Somerville Museum limits the number of recipients to no more than three each year.

Keidrick and Holly Roy

Along with discussion leaders Raquel Jimenez, Suelin Chen, Megan Bogia, Shandra Jones, and Haley Littleton and technical lead Meredith LaSalle-Tarantin for the Museum’s “Rage, Fragility and Antiracism” reading/discussion group.

2019 Awards

Pennie Taylor

Community Curator for Triple Decker Ecology; Inventor of Why the Long Face Game; Community Organizer.

Erica Jones + Dave Ortega (Somerville Media Center)

Thank you to Erica and Dave for making a great film about the Museum and recording a number of events we did at Aeronaut this year! Dave also worked to have music from the Union Square Playlist featured on public access for two years!

2017 Awards

Brandon Wilson

For her commitment to the City's historic preservation and her vision to celebrate history in Somerville in a big way. First Flag for instance.   

Professor Dan Breen

Professional historian, researcher into Somerville history, outstanding annual speaker in the HS local history lecture series.

Ed Gordon

For his research into Somerville architecture and his many self-guided walking tours in the City.    

Adda Santos

Teacher and advisor/founder of the SHS Local History Club.

Luis Morales

Owner of Taco Loco and panelist in the Economic History of Somerville series of discussions supported by MassHumanities.

Rosemond Falaise

Owner of Highland Creole Cuisine and panelist in the Economic History of Somerville series of discussions supported by MassHumanities.   

Ben Echevarria

Director of the Welcome Project. For his many years of work with immigrant populations in Somerville and his support of the Economic History of Somerville series of discussions funded by MassHumanities.   

Ben Holmes, Jason McCool, and Randy Winchester

Owners of Aeronaut Brewing Co. For the loan of the Aeronaut Brewing Co. space and for advertising the Economic History of Somerville project by hosting five nights of history talks, breaking ground in introducing new audiences to local history and making the series a resounding success.