LYNN, MASS. (WHDH) - As you step off the commuter rail station platform in Lynn, a new mural offers a gentle greeting. An abuela pauses to breathe in the fragrance of a rose, with a chickadee delicately perched on the flower’s stem. Above them, a simple phrase captures the spirit of the city: “Lynn welcomes you.”
The mural was created as part of the new Classroom to the Streets program run by Beyond Walls, a nonprofit that introduces public art to Massachusetts’ gateway cities. Through the program, students and educators partner with professional artists to breathe new life into concrete.
This year, all of the public art created through the program explores a single question: Where does our power lie during difficult times.
“Kids are still holding on to difficult situations in their lives,” said Lisa McCarthy, director of Classroom to the Streets. “So we’re embracing the paradox that there’s other ways in which we can find our power, and really the answer to that for Beyond Walls is creativity.”
For 17-year-old Joshua Cintron, who helped paint Lynn’s new welcoming mural, that power lies with family.
“As a Hispanic, my grandfather and my abuela on my mom’s side both immigrated here when they were very young,” he said. “Knowing this was by the train station, I wanted it to be very welcoming to people from all different backgrounds and communities.”
Close by, a new mural by the YMCA is also making a splash. It shows a calm, serene young boy, deep in thought as he clutches a set of rosary beads. For 17-year-old Marisabel Martinez, who helped create the mural, the image was inspired by the role faith plays when she’s faced with adversity.
“When we are struggling, there is someone that is hearing us, someone that is helping us and we’re not alone,” she said.
Beyond Walls began a decade ago as a grassroots, volunteer effort to bring more public art to downtown Lynn and improve walkability by installing additional lights for pedestrian safety. When founder and CEO Al Wilson noticed how much the city’s youth connected with the murals, he wanted to bring them into the process.
“What was really apparent immediately was just how much the youth identified with the art and the artists based on the way we curated this art,” Wilson said. “We feature many artists that match the culture and the demographics in the city, and they put up art that reflects that.”
Through Classroom to the Streets, students and teachers from Lynn Public Schools and St. Mary’s High School collaborate with professional artists from the earliest stages of the murals, helping develop the concepts before painting alongside the artists and bringing their designs to life. In the fall, students and teachers help lead public mural tours.
Science teacher David Winchester has used the program to explore themes of animal migration in his classes at Lynn Classical High School. He hopes the experience encourages students to see science—and their own abilities—in a different light.
“The murals put us out of our comfort zone, and I do that to my students. They’re in a science class and they’re like ‘why am I drawing,’” he said. “It’s not always about words, sometimes images are more powerful, and sometimes you have talents that you didn’t know you had.”
For Martinez, the lessons extend beyond the canvas. She says she’s also learned about the power of working together.
“I learned that with the help of lots of people you can create a masterpiece,” she said.
As for Cintron, he hopes his mural by the train stations serves as an invitation for newcomers, longtime residents and anyone looking for a place to grow.
“You can come here and you can bloom here,” he said.
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