LYNN — Downtown Lynn is about to get another fresh coat of paint.
The Beyond Walls Festival is back for its second year, and with it comes two weeks of family-friendly events. There will be 32 artists, some from around the world and some from Lynn, working on 27 murals that will color more walls throughout the downtown area. From Broad Street to Western Avenue, they’ve got it covered.
French artist Eltono may have already gotten a jumpstart with his mural on Tremont Street, but the festival doesn’t kick off until this week. For the various events, the festival’s team invited local makers, county-wide art enthusiasts, and “like-minded party starters to help spread the Lynn love this summer,” according to a press release.
There are a number of signature events that the festival has highlighted. The Exhibition of Beyond Walls 2017 Artists, from Aug. 10 to Aug. 27, invites the artists from last year to exhibit their work for the duration of the festival. The night of storytelling, at 6 p.m. on Aug. 6, is an evening of powerful tales from Lynn residents at the Lynn Auditorium. Festival attendees are invited to the Lynn Museum at 6 p.m. on Aug. 10 for opening night of the Beyond Walls exhibit and an evening panel introducing some of the 2018 artists.
Some of the artists of this year’s festival, as well as staff and members of the Beyond Walls board and a number of Lynn residents, will participate in a soccer game at Manning Field on Aug. 12. From 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., the Lynn contenders will play against members from the Worcester Mural Festival.
At the Raw Art Works studio, on Aug. 14 at 6 p.m., the public will be able to hear from some of the female artists participating in this year’s festival. The moderated conversation will be centered around the topic of what it’s like being a working female artist today.
On Aug. 15 at 5 p.m., festival attendees are invited to a casual night at Bent Water Brewery where they can meet this year’s muralists. Outdoor, oceanfront Flow Yoga at Heritage State Park on the Lynnway, led by Shanel Anderson, will be open to the public at 10 a.m. on Aug. 18. Closing out the 2018 festival will be its annual Rock the Block party from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Mount Vernon Street and throughout the downtown area.
Besides the festival’s signature events, there will be a number of smaller events that will be open to the public throughout the two-week span. There will be a few community garden days where attendees and their children can check out the city’s community gardens and partake in a slew of activities. There will be a nighttime neon bike ride from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Aug. 6 that utilizes the Ant bikes and allows the public to see downtown’s neon signs dispersed throughout.
The public can learn all about sign painting with Ted Kiley from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Aug. 8 and view a variety of short films and documentaries from students from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Lynn Auditorium. Attendees will be able to make their own mark on the festival with Annette Sykes, who will guide them as they walk and draw across downtown Lynn from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Aug. 9.
The public can enjoy spoken word performances from some of the Raw Art Works students at their studio from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Aug. 9. An all ages paint event will happen at Bent Water Brewery from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Aug. 12. Lynn Community Television will host a free Paramount movie series, featuring “Loving Vincent,” at 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 13.
The staff behind preparing the festival know attendees will have to burn off all the calories they gained during some of the events, so a workout party, featuring a group bootcamp session, will take place in the Lynn Common on Aug. 19.
Many of the festival’s events require tickets that need to be purchased. A full list of the festival’s details as well as the ticket prices can be found at beyond-walls.org.
