Olivia D'Ambrosio
2017 Candidate for Cambridge City Council

Home address:
6 Arlington St. #1
Cambridge, MA 02140

Contact information:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/oliviaforcambridgecitycouncil
website: http://www.vote-o.com/
email: olivia@vote-o.com

Send contributions to:
Committee to Elect Olivia D'Ambrosio
6 Arlington St. #1
Cambridge, MA 02140

Olivia D'Ambrosio is a new candidate this year.

Hi, I'm Olivia.
In a field of 26 incumbent and would-be Councillors, I'm the only candidate with a professional arts background and an arts-forward platform, running an out-and-proud, bare-bones campaign with a voluntary spending limit of $10,000.

I received my formal education at Amherst College and Brown University, serve as a STEAM educator in the Department of Theatre Arts at MIT, and am the Producing Artistic Director of Bridge Repertory Theater, a nonprofit arts organization I founded at age 28, now in residence at the Multicultural Arts Center on 2nd Street in East Cambridge.

I believe Cambridge has the ability, visibility, and responsibility to set the bar for ultra-progressive governance on every front. Our arts and culture policy, however, is way behind the times. In fact, we currently allocate less than half of one percent of our entire city budget to the arts and culture sector, because we misunderstand the arts as being apart from our approach to big questions, rather than a part of our approach to big questions.

As such, we need at least one arts-focused Councillor to pursue progressive arts policy that plays a robust role in achieving all of our progressive goals, including but not limited to: educating our children, buoying our local economy, and creating safe spaces for vulnerable populations.

All that being said, I'm not a one trick pony. Other key issues on my radar include:

• Urgent action on election + campaign finance reform
• Increasing affordability and sustainability for individuals and nonprofit organizations via a comprehensive, thoughtful development plan that reflects our progressive values, with a special eye on Cambridge's moderate-to-middle income individuals and families
• Creating protection, visibility and opportunity for, girls, women, members of the LGBTQ+ community, as well as other vulnerable populations
• Advocating for robust urban response to and preparation for climate change
  

On a personal note, I recently moved from renting a studio apartment in Kendall Square to owning a studio apartment in Porter Square, and am keenly aware of the difficulties faced in this city by both tenants and would-be homeowners. Meanwhile, as part of my commitment to green living, I have been a vegetarian for 10 years, and recently divested myself of my car. Finally, I am openly out and proud, and deeply grateful for the support of my partner, Rachel, who serves as an elementary public school principal in central MA.

To learn more about my background, why we need an arts councillor, and to pledge your #1 vote, please visit www.vote-o.com.

Thank you!

CCTV candidate video (2017)