Introduction BOXEN is a collective of artists/hackers/activists/educators in Chicago that have self-organized to develop a new work, education and performance space in the city. Chicago New Media Community Chicago has a very active community at the intersections of digital/ electonic art, hacker/activist culture, live performance and electronic music. This is the community the members of BOXEN live in and have organized to support, while also extending an open invitation to others who may not (yet) identify as members of the community. Education BOXEN practices and endorses education in both professional and grassroots contexts. We continue these efforts by supporting and developing free workshops derived from the skills of it's members. Events BOXEN offers a space for shows, lectures, readings, performances, music and art events. BOXEN is unique in its focus on providing an event platform for projects that are developed at BOXEN and in highlighting work developed in BOXEN workshops by those who attend and participate. Members have the opportunity to share or exhibit projects in the public events space at BOXEN. Workspace BOXEN identifies a growing need for a grass-roots media arts organization in Chicago that offers access to equipment and studio space that may not be available elsewhere. BOXEN replies to that need, providing access to a variety of equipment for digital, video, and sound art production and electronic hacking projects. Members of BOXEN are provided with workspace and a shared pool of materials to access. These resources are provided with a focus on developing sustainable art practices by using equipment that is recycled, "obsolete" or otherwise accessible to artists without institutional or "big-budget" support. Sustainability As participants in the New Media Arts community in Chicago, the members of BOXEN have seen and developed a lot of temporary (by design or accident) spaces and projects in the city. Often the lifespan of these projects is dictated by personal resources, however, BOXEN is being developed from the beginning for sustainability in the long term. BOXEN's strategies for this include membership financing, openness to change, an ever-evolving and growing member base, and dependence on reclaimed/recycled/donated technical resources. Members will keep the framework of BOXEN sustainable, transparent and accessible through public discourse and web presence, offering it as a part of an ongoing discussion with and for others to respond to and take useful parts from while developing their own projects. BOXEN hopes to inspire and engage others developing their own sustainable projects through open and ongoing process of dialog and feedback.