Raw Art Works to expand

LYNN – The numbers two and five, massive and colorful lean up against the wall in the rear of Raw Art Works ground floor space, remnants of the organization’s Party with a Purpose, a symbol of its 25 anniversary and a hint of what’s too come.”Imagine next year ? 2,500 square feet of endless possibilities for the future of RAW,” said Founder Mary Flannery.RAW is a non-profit organization, that offers art classes, film studies, a creative outlet and a safe place for kids to explore, free of charge at 37 Central Square.During RAW’s recent annual BASH, the organizations largest single fund raiser Flannery, along with Executive Director Kit Jenkins unveiled plans to expand the organization taking over the space next door. Currently home to Free Wind Travel at 43 Central Square, Jenkins said as of September they will take occupancy of the space and begin renovations. They expect the new space to be ready next spring, Flannery said.”The whole goal is create a yummy, wonderful welcome mat,” said Flannery. “A place for the community, for young people, proud parents, neighbors and supporters, where everyone will feel a welcome vibe.”The new space will be called “Gather @ Raw” and will serve several purposes, Flannery explained. It will allow RAW to offer Saturday programming, which will in turn cut down on it’s waiting list of 70 elementary students, she said.Jenkins said it will also contain a small gallery space and for the first time RAW will have a retail component.”We’ve been asked for years and years and years and years and years ?do you ever sell things,'” she said.The only time RAW sells artwork is during that annual BASH, which raises funds for the organization’s operating budget. This year graduate artwork brought in $67,000 during a live and silent auction, it raised $166,000 overall. Now RAW artists will have an outlet to sell art year round.The retail shop will also give kids a chance to learn another skill, how to market their artwork. Flannery said the shop will be run by teens that will have to interview and sell themselves for the job.”They have to have game on,” Flannery said. “And hopefully it will be kids who see themselves in that field.”Combined with the ground floor space already in use at 37 Central Square the larger space will also provide room for kids to “tinker.””In our attempt to go deeper and wider, studies show that kids need to tinker more,” Flannery said. “It’s really a grounded way for learning.”The back of the space will become a proper film studio, Jenkins said. The Reel to Reel Filmschool is currently housed in an upstairs office where the sound booth is a former bathroom.Jenkins said moving the studio also makes way upstairs for a new program, The Art of Words, which will focus on kids who have a passion for poetry, spoken word or bookmaking.”When we started the film school we had three kids, it was a molecule and it grew,” Jenkins said. “We hope The Art of Words will grow.”Filmmakers aged 11 to 20 will debut over 20 films on June 15 at the Peabody Essex Museum at 2 p.m., Flannery added, to point out the growth of that program.While renovations are expected to start in September RAW is only half way to its goal to fund the project. Flannery said they’ve raised $400,000 and are applying for a state Cultural Council Facilities grant but they still have a ways to go to reach the needed $1 million mark.But they are confident they will hit the mark and with a year’s worth of events planned to celebrate the 25 anniversary Flannery said next year’s annual fundraiser “will be a BASH on steroids.”Chris Stevens can be reached at [email protected].