PHOTO BY PAULA MULLER
Auriangela Acosta Reyes, front, and Solanlli Peguero jump from footprint to footprint drawn on the road in front of RAW Arts on Thursday.
BY GAYLA CAWLEY
LYNN — People left their footprints all over Central Square, but it wasn’t graffiti — it was the opening of the Raw Art Works Exhibit.
Central Square was closed to traffic for several hours Thursday night while young people from Raw Art Works (RAW), a nonprofit that assists youth through experiences with the arts, used chalk paint to create and color in large footprints.
Jason Cruz, RAW’s clinical director, said the idea is to have someone imagine walking down Union Street and Central Square and leaving footprints behind.
“It’s a positive way for kids to leave their mark on the city,” said Cruz. “It’s to let people know they belong here and are part of the city. The city’s an awesome place.”
He said the footprint painting was open to anyone and he was hoping for participation from 1,000 people. Last year, the event drew about 600.
Austin Jagodynski, 16, is part of RAW’s Public Art Team. He helped to spray paint the outline of the footprints for people to color in.
“It makes people’s voices be heard in the community,” Jagodynski said.
Jessica Herrera, 17, a RAW chief, oversaw the event. She got involved because she likes to paint.
“I thought it would be a good way to get out of my comfort zone,” she said. “I’m kind of a shy person.”
RAW gives kids a second home and the organization is like family, she added.
Crystal DePrizito, 10, was helping to color in the footprints. She worked on blending colors with her design.
“I really didn’t have anything to do at home but play and I wanted to do something different,” DePrizito said.
DePrizito and other members of RAW will also have their three dimensional sculptures displayed at the nonprofit’s Central Square building for a year, long after the paint from their footprints washes off the street. The exhibition is called LAND: Listen Ask Navigate Drive.
“Those four things help kids feel grounded,” said Laura Menucci, program manager of RAW.
Menucci said each group incorporated the acronym into their sculpture. The event also serves as a graduation for RAW’s high school seniors.
Three students received scholarships. Camille San Gabriel received the alumni-created “Pay it Forward” scholarship for $750.
Two students received the Alice Burke Flannery Scholarship, which was named after the founder’s mother. Celine Vu and Gage McManus each received $1,000. The scholarship is given to needy students who display leadership skills and artistic talents.
Gayla Cawley can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @GaylaCawley.