November 6, 2026 |Arts, Arts & Culture, News, Non-profits, Raw Art Works

Raw Art Works Steps Into Its Next Chapter With Youth-Made Public Art, New Board Members, And Strategic Priorities

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Creative youth development nonprofit creates “Murals of Belonging” at the Lynn Public Schools Welcome Center, created by newly arrived teens with guidance from artists from Ciudad Juárez, Mexico

From Raw Art Works: Raw Art Works (RAW), Lynn’s creative youth development organization rooted in art therapy and centered in community, made four major announcements today that reflect its priorities and those of the community it serves: a new public mural created by newly arrived youth, a youth-designed street art installation in Central Square, four new members of its Board of Directors, and new board-approved strategic priorities that will guide RAW through 2029.

A welcome, painted by the people it welcomes

Lynn Public Schools Welcome Center partnered with Raw Art Works on Murals of Belonging, a series of large-scale panels to be installed on the Welcome Center building at 195 Market Street, facing the Lynnway. The Welcome Center is the first stop for every family entering Lynn Public Schools, and for many newcomer families, it is their first encounter with the city itself. Mural installation is scheduled for Spring 2027.

The murals were designed and painted by a cohort of 17 recently arrived teens over the summer who learned the parachute cloth mural technique from guest artists Ana Infante and David “Mambo” Flores, whose murals line the border near their hometown of Ciudad Juárez. Through storytelling circles, arts-based wellness workshops, and community paint days, the young artists brought their cultures, stories, identities, languages, and visions for the future into a public work that will be seen by thousands of commuters every day.

“When anyone arrives in a new country, the first message that place sends them matters, and for a young person, that message can shape their future. These murals are a vital part of that message, and the young artists who painted them want every newcomer to hear it: you belong here.”

Rosario Ubiera-Minaya, Executive Director of Raw Art Works

The project is supported by the New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA) through its Public Art for Spatial Justice program, with additional support from Lynnspire, supported by the Barr Foundation as part of the TDI/MassDevelopment Creative Cities initiative.

Photo credit: Jeysac Pech (Instagram)

Turning a dangerous intersection into a youth-made landscape

In Central Square, RAW partnered with the City of Lynn on a $100,000 Bloomberg Philanthropies Asphalt Art Initiative project, one of only ten awarded across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Led by the City’s Departments of Planning and Public Works, the project uses youth-designed public art to slow traffic and improve pedestrian safety at one of the city’s most dangerous intersections, while creating more vibrant, welcoming community space.

Twenty-four youth and three alumni apprentices, employed through RAW’s paid youth artist program, completed the 10,123-square-foot mural this fall. The design draws on Lynn’s history and imagery, including shoe soles big and small, honoring the city’s legacy as a pioneering center of the shoemaking industry dating back to the 1600s. The work joins a growing landscape of RAW public art across Central Square, from mural panels beneath the train platform to mosaic benches created by RAW youth.

A plan built on what works

RAW has adopted a new three-year strategic plan, approved by the Board of Directors ahead of the new fiscal year on July 1, following a nearly two-year process guided by the consulting firm Liberation Partners. The plan is built on RAW’s theory of action: when young people have safe and inspiring places to make art, caring adults who believe in them, and tools to understand themselves, they build the confidence, resilience, and belonging to pursue their goals, lead, and help build more equitable communities.

The plan centers on three goals: strengthening and demonstrating the impact of the model at the heart of RAW’s work; creating a cohesive journey from a young person’s first day at RAW through alumni leadership; and securing RAW’s long-term financial health.

“We have watched young people transform here thousands of times, and we know what makes it possible,” said Ubiera-Minaya. “This plan is about making sure every young person who walks through our doors, today and decades from now, meets the strongest version of RAW we have ever offered. Our next chapter is not a departure from who we are. It is a deeper commitment to it.”

“I feel very good about where RAW is headed. Not because the next three years will be without challenges, but because we’ve taken the time to think carefully about what matters, where we need to improve, and what it will take to build a stronger organization.”

Rayna Lesser Hannaway, Chair of the RAW Board of Directors

Four new leaders join the Board of Directors

RAW welcomes four new members to its Board of Directors, each bringing deep experience in nonprofit governance, commitment to RAW’s mission, and expertise that directly supports the organization’s strategic priorities:

Tia Cole is Special Projects Manager at Creative Collective and Chair of the Lynn Public Art Commission. A founding board member of Galleries at LynnArts, the Brickyard Collaborative, and Lynn Main Streets, and a founding member of Mutual Aid Lynn, Cole also brings the perspective of a RAW parent.

Carol Lavoie Schuster is founder and Principal of CLS Consulting, an artist, and former Director of Community Engagement at the Essex County Community Foundation. Carol brings more than two decades of leadership in philanthropy and the arts.

Shannon Saccocia, CFA, is Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer, Wealth, at Neuberger Berman and a longtime CNBC contributor. She previously served as Chief Investment Officer for SVB Private and Boston Private Wealth.

Enna Jimenez is an award-winning transformation leader with more than 30 years of experience across corporate, nonprofit, and community sectors, and the founder and CEO of her own advisory firm. Appointed to the Massachusetts Latino Advisory Commission, she serves on the national board of ALPFA and is co-author of Extraordinary Latinas: Powerful Voices of Resilience, Courage & Empowerment.

“Our objective isn’t simply to make RAW bigger, ” said Lesser Hannaway. “It’s to make RAW stronger and better positioned to continue offering free, community-centered programs for generations to come.”

About Raw Art Works

Raw Art Works (RAW) is a creative youth development organization rooted in art therapy and centered in community, offering free programming to young people in grades 4 through 12 in Lynn, Massachusetts. RAW believes every young person deserves to be seen and heard, and that everyone has a story to tell. Its mission is to ignite the desire to create and the confidence to succeed in our youth.

Learn more at rawartworks.org or follow @rawartworkslynn.