The Boston Compass is a free monthly newspaper that covers new music, film screenings, free art events and concerts in the Boston area. To help fund the future costs of running the publication, The Compass has announced the launch of its online fundraising campaign via the BRAIN Arts Organization. More information can be found here.
For those unfamiliar: each issue of The Compass features a selection of visual art pieces, comics and illustrations plus show listings and short articles. A recent issue covered everything from album reviews of Boston’s pissed-off bubblegum punk band Tomboy to reviews of the best donut joint in the Boston area. The paper’s mission is to “foster an innovative, compelling and interconnected music, art and film community in greater Boston and beyond through grassroots inclusive, participatory culture.”
The Compass has been a staple in Boston’s underground arts community for just over five years. It’s a DIY effort that started as a one-sheet zine written by a small group of individuals, and has evolved into a collective mass of volunteer artists, writers and activists. They currently distribute about 15,000 copies per month in over 500 community spaces: cafes, schools and record stores all throughout the Greater Boston area. The Compass is similar to the likes of Brooklyn’s beloved Showpaper: the bi-weekly show listing that, sadly, suspended publishing last January.
