LYNN – When Mary Flannery and Kit Jenkins opened Raw Art Works 25 years ago they had enough money to cover the rent for one year but no money to heat the fourth floor space at 37 Central Square.Today the pair own the entire building and RAW has become a phenomenon that has garnered national attention as much for its alumni artists as for the model youth art program it’s become.”I think of that picture of Mary and I sitting in the window, two punks,” said Jenkins. “Did we think we’d have a film school? No. Did we think we’d have a staff of 19 working for us? No.”But they had a philosophy that was born early: put a paint brush in every kid’s hand. Flannery said they had 12 kids to work with and the first day they were open they went to paint the floor and a paint can was accidentally tipped over.”The kids kicked out an octopus in their $70 Adidas sneakers,” she said. “They said there are no mistakes, just art and that has been out motto ever since.”The pair met nearly 30 years ago at Danvers State Hospital where Flannery was running the art therapy department and Jenkins came in as an intern. They built RAW kid by kid, piece by piece, and by always focusing on two things, “lessons learned” and “what’s next.”Flannery said it’s key that when kids walk through the door of RAW they feel welcomed and loved, and what they smell is art. If they ever thought it is therapy they would never come back, she said.RAW Art Works at a glance
RAW served over 1,200 youth in 2011-12 school year; 432 of which attend RAW weekly.
15 percent of RAW seniors will be the first in their family to graduate high school.
50 percent of RAW college seniors will be the first in their family to graduate college.
RAW spends nearly $50,000 on salaries for kids who work at RAW.
RAW’s Real to Reel Film School students have had their films screened at festivals in 27 states, viewed in over 140 countries and have had 70,000 online views of their work.
Staff sing happy birthday to kids approximately 183 times per year.
RAW currently has four staff members with more than 15 years of service at RAW.
In 2006 RAW launched Good 2 Go, an all boys public art group. Since then the group has worked on over 30 murals and public art projects.
93 percent of RAW youth live in Lynn.
100 percent of seniors in Project Launch were accepted into college in the 2011-2012 school year.
Facts courtesy of RAW Art Works
But RAW is therapy in its rawest form. Flannery said it asks kids questions so compelling they can’t ignore them and the kids answer with art. The art is then hung on the wall, discussed and the artists praised for being courageous enough to answer, Jenkins added.One of their earliest projects included asking kids in lockup under what was then called the Department of Youth Services to paint the thing they longed for most.”Before we opened doors we hoped to get people to understand that art therapy is more than asking them to ?paint your mother’s face,'” Flannery said.Flannery said there are myths about RAW that she would like to debunk.”That you have to be messed up to come; no,” she said. “That you need to pay to go here; no. That you have to be an artist – not true.”She said people are also under the impression that kids are only welcome for a certain period of time but kids can start coming as early as 6 and stay until they are 18 or 19 years old.”It’s a safe community for them, a home away from home and they feel loved,” Jenkins said.Over the years Jenkins and Flannery developed over 40 programs for children of all ages including Real to Reel film school, Good 2 Go, an all boys public art group and Project Launch that helps get seniors into college by matching them up with a mentor.They also raised the money to buy 37 Central, and have drawn national attention and invitations from all over the country to start RAWs elsewhere.”The answer is just two little letters,” Flannery said. “No. We want to stay committed to the kids here. We’re just the little coffee sh