COURTESY OF RAW ART WORKS
Shayna Fratini’s drawing, “Qis,” is on display at the Blue Ox. Fratini is one of six artists featured in Raw Art Works’ 2013 exhibit who were picked for display at the Oxford Street restaurant.
By BILL BROTHERTON
LYNN — In a word, amazing things are happening at Raw Art Works downtown. It changes kids’ lives for the better each and every day.
Since 1988, RAW has provided free after-school arts programming for the city’s youth and its staff has encouraged kids to tell their stories through the arts. The dedication of its staff and the students’ creativity that’s on display in the nonprofit organization’s Central Square headquarters is remarkable. “When I came down here for the first time and looked at the artwork on the walls, I was astonished that many of the pieces were made by elementary school kids,” said Alex Ashley, development operations manager.
An exhibit that opens Tuesday night at the Blue Ox on Oxford Street is just one of its many success stories. Six paintings by alumni from RAW’s 2013 exhibit, “In a Word,” will be displayed in the restaurant’s dining room. The students’ work will surround a large art piece created by RAW founder Mary Flannery. The event is open to the public, free of charge. Wine and light hors d’oeuvres will be served from 5-6:30 p.m., with a poetry reading by Gladys Hidalgo, a prominent local slam poet and RAW alumna, at 6 p.m..
Sarah Brogna, development manager, said for “In a Word” “students were asked to make up a word, make up a definition and write a poem around it.” The results are impressive.
Michael Aghahowa, who is expected to attend the exhibit opening on Tuesday, created the verb “nie,” which means “to draw near.” His poem: A mermaid calls/A festive party. I want to go see what is going on. Fresh baked brownies/Walking past Kennedy’s Fried Chicken/sleep after a long day’s work. I am nie. With my personality, I attract cool friends and amazing people into my life.
Shayna Fratini made up “qis,” a noun that means “a vital force (in Chinese thought).” Her poem: “Feeling like I am at the top of a rollercoaster/On the verge of dropping, and then letting go. Like the explosion of a shaken up soda/The sounds of bubble gum popping/After a long day at the beach, the taste of salt on my lips/or the smell of a crisp air on a breezy day/I am qis, I don’t let obstacles prevent me/From getting where I want to be.
Poems and art by Danielle DeVellis, Arielis Kinser, Francisco Vasquez and Danielle Shay will also be displayed.
Ashley added that “In a Word” is the work of RAW’s high school portfolio development group CORE, which answered the question, “What three-letter word represents what you value in your life?” CORE artists, most of whom go to college, were challenged through observational drawing to depict their own hands in sign language. While capturing the gestures that spelled out their three-letter word, they also created a composition and a poem to further describe how the word related to them.
Brogna said more than 600 students, age 7 to 21, benefit from RAW’s free programs. There is a waiting list. “The focus is on art therapy, which helps get them to understand themselves, too.” The organization has a $2 million budget, which is mostly funded by grants and individual donors; 605 individuals made contributions this year, the most ever.
From the nonprofit’s website: Raw Art Works pursued its mission to ignite the desire to create and the confidence to succeed in underserved youth. RAW believes that all kids should be SEEN and HEARD and is committed to helping kids tell their stories through the arts. Youth respond creatively to compelling questions focused on what is really going on in their lives. Within RAW’s culture of care and safety, kids create in unexpected ways, envision new possibilities and transform their lives.
Ashley enthusiastically tells of one class where students sit in a circle and are asked to rate their day from 1 to 10. “If it’s 5 or below, the student is asked ‘Do you want to talk about it?’ They say why they’re feeling bad, and it’s common for another student to say ‘I feel that way too.’ It gives them the sense they are not alone. They can identify with what their friends are going through.”
For more information about RAW programs, volunteer opportunities or the “In a Word” exhibit, go to www.rawartworks.com.?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss