LYNN — Four months after Beyond Walls brought a splash of color to the city, the project will be recognized for its artistry and collaboration.
MassInc.’s Fifth Annual Gateway Cities Innovation Institute Awards will honor the work to create murals on the faces of 15 buildings in the downtown. Lynn is one of eight cities to receive the prize.
“It’s very cool and a big deal,” said Alfred Wilson, executive director and founder of Beyond Walls. “This is the first award of its kind for Lynn. We have shown what can be done culturally and artistically in the city. It’s a really positive thing.”
The 10-day event brought artists from across the world, who painted the murals last summer. Thousands of people came to the downtown to see the art. As a finale, more than 2,500 people flocked to the “Rock the Block” celebration.
MassInc., which calls itself an independent think tank, created the award for Gateway Cities, communities that were home to industry and offered good jobs and a “gateway” to the American Dream. But as manufacturing jobs disappeared, these mid-sized urban centers have lacked the resources to rebuild and have been slow to attract new investment. Still, Gateway Cities have “good bones” and can be poised for development and job growth.
In addition to Lynn, the Legislature named 25 other communities as Gateway Cities including Attleboro, Barnstable, Brockton, Chelsea, Chicopee, Everett, Fall River, Fitchburg, Haverhill, Holyoke, Lawrence, Leominster, Lowell, Malden, Methuen, New Bedford, Peabody, Pittsfield, Quincy, Revere, Salem, Springfield, Taunton, Westfield, and Worcester.
