“REBUILD”:the 2023 Film School Screening, Exhibit Opening + Block Party
Social Justice Gallery
Talking about social justice is not new at RAW. Issues surrounding lack of equity, inclusion, and justice, as well as topics on immigration, police brutality, sexism, racism, and violence, have been a part of the conversations in our studios since we opened RAW Space. We invite you to join us as we reflect on the powerful art done by RAW teens and alumni over the past 26 years.
2020. RAW alum, Michael Aghahowa’s portrait of Frederick Douglass. Michael writes:
"Django Unchained (the film in 2012) had one of the best hero shots of all time! Fact, or fiction, I can't stress enough how empowering it is to see and learn about Black heroes.
Django’s story is not real, but Frederick Douglass's story is, and it is one of the greatest American stories of all time. A story of perseverance, struggle, and strength, and a fine example of the power in knowledge. It blows my mind that he lived in Lynn for nearly a decade. During his time, he was giving lectures and informing people about the horrors of slavery while the threat of being captured by his ‘slave master’ was constantly looming!!!
Frederick Douglass is a real bad ass and I'd like to imagine that the most photographed man of the 1800's got fly when he could. That's why I painted him in this blue suit inspired by Django.
When I look at this painting I feel like I'm being told history as it is, not fabricated, because that's what Frederick Douglass did. As I unlearn some history and gain knowledge on the real stories of people who helped shape this country I find myself being reminded that I can do anything I put my mind to!"
1995. RAW teens help design this billboard and other public art pieces to raise awareness for the Stop the Violence campaign in Lynn.
2017. WAMX, RAW’s Womxn Art Muralist group, creating a 3’ x 15’ mural for the White Rose Cafe - the group wanted the mural to share the story of its name sake. (The White Rose was a non-violent, intellectual resistance group in the Third Reich led by a group of students including Hans and Sophie Scholl. They attended the University of Munich. The group conducted an anonymous leaflet and graffiti campaign that called for active opposition to the Nazi regime.)
2016. A resilient great grandmother talks about her journey from Cambodia to America. Filmmaker: Cyntheara Tham.
2007. Portrait by Reggie of Men 2 Be - the prompt was “looking at yourself” and Reggie reflected on feeling judged - this was painted on plexiglass with acrylic and sharpie
2011. Created by Kathy Vu of Women 2 Be as a part of a building-wide warm up activity on the theme of “I stand for…”
2018. The all teen male group, Men 2 Be, serves as a constant and steady place for young men to talk about what they are seeing and/or experiencing every day and often works to break down the system of toxic masculinity. These signs were created about issues that the teens care about: immigration, drug abuse, and misrepresentation of young men of color.
2016. Middle schoolers in Boys Lync spent time in RAW’s RAD Printshop to make get out the vote posters, encouraging everyone to vote!
Early 2000s. This project was done by one of the first groups of RAW Chiefs. Teens painted on cardboard boxes that can be folded up. They discussed what is on the inside vs outside. Projections vs. reality. Assumptions and judgements are external and on the outside of the box, while who the teen really is exists on the inside. They used charcoal and white paint to write messages, which creates a dusty gray effect, to further illustrate the “gray areas” too.
2020. RAW’s WAMX public art team in front of their powerful work in the windows of the Lynn Museum, with Lynn Museum’s Executive Director (and RAW alum!) Doneeca Thurston. The portraits went up for the month of March, which is International Women’s Month. The mural celebrates the four women of color in congress who have become known as “the Squad.” L-R: Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota (x2), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, and Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts.
Early 2000s. Another one of the box projects - this young man now has his own son enrolled in group with Jason Cruz!
2011 - A Better Future
2016. “Enough is Enough” by Bedelyn Dabel, RAW alum and Adobe Creative Scholar. "This piece is based on the tragic event that occurred in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, July 5, 2016. A dad named Alton Sterling was shot to death by a police officer while being pinned down. At the press conference, his wife spoke with their son by her side. Their son, Cameron, broke down in sobbing tears. This hit me deeply. There have been many cases of police brutality but you never see the sons and the daughters of the victims feeling the weight of such a crippling loss. The message of this piece is ENOUGH is ENOUGH." - Bedelyn
2007. This was a collaborative piece done around 2007 with Jason Cruz and one of his groups. Teens collaged the background with news clippings of atrocities that had been happening around the world. They talked about hope and the lack of superheroes of color.
2017. Unveiled the Friday before Donald Trump’s inauguration in January of 2017. Made by RAW Chiefs, and installed by Chiefs Elvis and Fernando with the Boyz Lync group. Made of outdoor netting typically used for screened in porches.
2016. RAW partnered with San Antonio-based organization, SAY Sí to create letter-pressed posters that address issues of class, race, gender, sexism, or other -isms in RAW’s RAD Letterpress Printshop. SAY Si’s youth artists traveled from Texas for a weeklong social justice residency at RAW. Each poster features the word jUStice, to remind us how justice works when it is looking out for all of US. (SAY Si was also recognized as an Adobe Creative Catalyst alongside RAW.)
2017. Celebration of black girls celebrating beating stereotypes. Filmmakers: Michaela Olabisi
2019. RAW partnered with the Lynn Public Schools Superintendent, Dr. Patrick Tutwiler, the Lynn Youth Court Alliance, and Lynn Youth Street Outreach on a program aimed at demystifying the youth court system. RAW Chiefs designed, created and installed this sculpture, "The Rings of Hope," in the Lynn District Court house. It reads in Spanish and English “What we need is.. unity, equity, courage, overcome.”
The Rings of Hope installed at the Court House with RAW staff and a RAW Chief.
2018. RAW teens in Jason Cruz’s “They Look Like Me” (TLLM) group built a larger-than-life size sculpture called “A Seat at the Table.”
This art installation was built specifically for the Flying Horse Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit at Pingree School (pictured above) and was on display at the Peabody Essex Museum in January 2019, in conjunction with their Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend programming.
2018. Stained glass portrait by Jandy, M2B as a part of the “Elements” exhibit at RAW. Each group member responded to the question: What is an important element that you have or want to have in order to interrupt injustice? “Sometimes when people experience a lot of violence they do not want to talk. I always tell the truth. I feel that it is important to stand against racism, and I want to speak up and use my voice to say "NO." - Jandy
“If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.” –Shirley Chisholm.
In creating the piece, RAW artists reflected and responded to Shirley Chisholm’s quote, using their own words and imagery to connect viewers to their truth. The piece was inspired by RAW’s belief that all people should be seen, heard, and respected. It artistically represents those who have strived and persevered to create opportunities for today’s youth to have a seat at the table in America.
Each place setting had a self reflection question for the viewer, as they looked at themselves in the mirrored plate. The questions are for those that have a seat at the table.
2020. Art by 13 year old Nilton, in Bruce Orr’s Studio Time II group. Nilton made this piece with his mom, which he brought to RAW to hang in our window gallery this summer,.