Lynn native Silvia Leary, also known as VIA™, is the first artist in a new series opening at the Warwick Cinema in Marblehead known as the “Women of Color in the Arts” series.
VIA™ will be presenting her “1 Paint” series during the opening night on Friday at 6:30 p.m.
The 1 Paint series consists of paintings representing the past year, from the Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I wanted to really highlight, through art, that there’s really no such thing as a Black or white human, and I was able to do that through my paintings,” VIA™ said.
Some of her paintings are of historical figures who fought for civil rights, including Muhammed Ali, Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Martin Luther King Jr., and Malcom X.
VIA™ said this series addresses a variety of issues in the past year, including people being stuck inside, politics, the BLM movement, and COVID-19.
“We need to all take a step back and realize we are one,” VIA™ said. “I figured if I could paint a series — that’s why it’s called the 1 Paint series — then people could come out and see this event and realize ‘why are we fighting?'”
One of the main paintings in the series is of a heart containing the No. 1 in the middle, painted with different colors representing different skin colors.
“This is to really highlight the (idea) around why we are fighting with each other if we’re all really the same (on the inside), just different colors,” VIA™ said.
Every year, VIA™ works on a new series and paints a different piece every couple of months, hosting an event when the series is completed.
Her event on Friday will also consist of a silent auction, which includes a signed photo of Devin and Jason McCourty from the New England Patriots, a baseball signed by Boston Red Sox players, a New England Revolution Soccer shirt signed by Carles Gil, and a shirt signed by former Celtics player Antoine Walker. Walker will also be attending the event for a meet and greet and to support VIA™’s cause, as they are good friends.
All funds raised at this event will be donated to girls’ varsity sports in the city. VIA™ encourages coaches of girls’ sports to attend the event and spread the word to increase the funds that can be allocated to interested teams.
“I played basketball and soccer at Classical, and I feel like the girls’ teams don’t get enough attention,” VIA™ said. “Every year, I try to find somewhere to give back to, and since I went to Classical and have a studio at LynnArts, I try to give back to Lynn.”
Tickets for the event are $50 and can be purchased on Eventbrite or at the door. The event will have a cash bar at The Beacon Restaurant and Bar — which is attached to the cinema — appetizers, and a performance by the dance team ITM, in addition to VIA™ ‘s art on view.
For those who wish to have dinner at The Beacon, VIA™ suggests making a reservation, as the restaurant fills up quickly.
Her artwork from her 1 Paint series will have a bio and prints for sale at the event, and more of her work and story can be found on her website at viasworld.com.
