Women Owned Firm Joins Unique, ALL LOCAL, Mix of Retailers at Allston Labworks
Artists in Residences Spaces Provide Opportunities for Local Artists
ALLSTON, MA — (July 10, 2025)- Alchemy Station, a certified women-owned art consulting firm and creative studio, has joined the Allston Labworks campus at 280 Western Avenue. In addition to establishing their new office, Alchemy Station will oversee two dedicated artist studios next door as part of the development’s artists-in-residence program.
Alchemy Station, founded by Kate Anderson and Suzi Hlavacek, is dedicated to bridging the gap between collectors and contemporary working artists. Their mission centers on creating meaningful connections between artists and developers, property owners, architects, designers, organizations and the broader community. The 1,873 square foot office includes two expansive artists in residence units.
Allston Labworks’ owner King Street Properties worked with the City of Boston and Alchemy Station to integrate art on the campus as a form of public engagement to help foster the creative community locally. A cornerstone of this initiative is the on-site studio residency program which supports artistic experimentation, visibility, and career growth. The studios were designed specifically to be a place where artists can push boundaries and create at large scale, taking advantage of the space’s open volumes, natural light, and garage-scale doors. Currently, Allston Labworks and Alchemy Station hosts two artists-in-residence, including:
Stephen Hamilton/studio resident: Stephen is an artist and arts educator living and working in Boston. Stephen’s work incorporates both Western and African techniques, blending figurative painting and drawing with resist dyeing, weaving and woodcarving. As a Black American trained in the traditional west African artforms, he treats the acts of weaving, dyeing, and woodcarving as ritualized acts of reclamation. Stephen’s art has earned much recognition including being chosen by the Boston Public Art Triennial, the city’s first and only public art organization dedicated to supporting artists and communities in presenting bold contemporary public art.
Massiel Grullón/studio resident: Massiel is a Boston-based Dominican artist known for her retro-nostalgic hand painted murals, blending geometric design with bold color gradients to transform spaces into immersive environments. Massiel is creating two murals for Allston Labworks, the first being a five-story installation inside the parking garage stairway, is already a striking part of the streetscape. With deep roots in Allston, attending the Jackson Mann school growing up, Massiel was an ideal candidate for the artist in residence program. Beyond her murals, Massiel is also a drummer, performing at some of Allston’s most iconic live music venues.
“It is truly an honor and a great privilege to be opening our first studio space at Allston Labworks. The Allston neighborhood is such a vibrant community of creatives and innovators, and we hope to contribute to that energy by supporting working artists and bringing artwork into unexpected places,” said Suzi Hlavacek, Co-Founder, Alchemy Station. “Our goal is to invite the community to engage with art in meaningful ways—whether it’s in workspaces, building lobbies, multi-family communities, healthcare facilities, public spaces, or educational institutions. This work is our passion, and the fact that King Street recognized that in us means the world.”
“As we planned Allston Labworks our vision was to partner with the local community, including its vibrant arts scene, and Alchemy Station is an ideal partner in that mission. Their commitment to artists and integrating them into public spaces and business ventures makes them a perfect fit for our creative ecosystem at Allston Labworks,” said Mike DiMinico, Managing Director/Partner, King Street Properties.
King Street has prioritized local businesses at Allston Labworks, a unique community which includes 20,000 square feet of ground-floor retail spread across three buildings. Alchemy joins non-profit BioBuilder, a life science training facility for high school students as well as FiDO, a casual food restaurant by the owners of South End restaurants Bar Mezzana and others, as well as Park Bagelry, a new concept by Tiny Engine Collective.
Allston Labworks is a dynamic 4+ acre mixed-use campus along the emerging Western Ave corridor, thoughtfully designed to enhance and contribute to the vibrant Allston neighborhood. In addition to the above-mentioned space, Allston Labworks features 535,000 square feet of state-of-the-art life science space and 35 residential apartments. Additionally, 1.1 acres of public open space invites residents and visitors alike to gather, explore, and connect in this exciting new destination.