LYNN — Students featured in the ongoing annual exhibition at Raw Art Works (RAW) chose to make pieces that captured the emotional upheaval of the past year brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic and the continuing movement toward racial justice.
The exhibit, “Find Your Footing, Make a Stand,” opened at RAW Monday after being put on hold last year due to the pandemic. Showings are currently open only for the students and their families at staggered times and no more than 20 people will be allowed at a time.
Approximately 130 students involved in RAW — a youth organization rooted in art therapy — worked since March on projects that tie into the two major events of the past year.
For example, a group of high-school students created statues in response to the number of public Confederate monuments taken down because they represented bigotry and violence against Black people.
Usually, the unveiling of these exhibitions is accompanied by a big block party which shuts down part of Central Square, where the gallery is located. While COVID-19 canceled plans for such an event this year, Program Director Alejandra Utrera said it is nice to be able to have the students — whose ages range from elementary to high school — back in person with their artwork on display.
“The response has been great so far,” Utrera said. “We really wanted kids to be in the space and for families to see all the work compiled.”
When things are virtual, Utrera said it’s hard for the exhibition to really feel like a celebration, so this way people can actually see the impact of the work.
Art therapist Bruce Orr, who supervised the group of students who created the statues, said the basis of their projects was prompted by a single question: “What monument would you put in their place?” He asked the students what they stood for, and explained that the sculptures they chose to create represented their values and individual views.
“They represent a lot of hope and optimism,” said Orr. “It’s really saying a lot that the young people in this room really persevered through these times.”
Jah’Nyah Spencer, a senior involved with RAW, said making the statues was challenging, but fun. Her sculpture, she said, represents integrity.
“I want to inspire the youth to be true to themselves and what they want,” Spencer said.
While growing up in Lynn, Spencer said she has met children with a lot of potential, but who were often unable to explore their talents due to personal struggles.
“As someone who has struggled with depression and those kinds of things, I really want to inspire the youth to not only get past that, but to show them that… they can be so much more than that,” Spencer said. “That’s really the reason why I keep making art, because I really want to inspire the youth and show them that they have a purpose.”
Another notable element of the exhibition was the installation of stepping stones and flowers, which were meant to serve as a reminder that long and lasting change doesn’t happen overnight.
Alison Miller, an art therapist at RAW who worked with the students who created the flowers, said that for her the show’s pieces always serve as a metaphor for self-portraits. The flowers tell a story from seed to bloom, telling of a person’s journey from the roots up, she said.
That particular project resulted in discussions among elementary-aged students about “what conscious steps our young people can take to ensure they have a firm stance on the ground.”
The exhibition will be up for a year at RAW’s gallery in Central Square. Students involved described the projects as tough, but fulfilling.
The art represents how the students at RAW are strong, bold and outspoken, and “that’s what this exhibit says,” Orr said.
