ITEM PHOTO BY OWEN O’ROURKE
Jeremy Cheam, of RAW Art Works in Lynn, works on the mural that is headed for Neptune Court.
By BRIDGET TURCOTTE
LYNN — Nine teen artists are working to restore pride in the city, one mural at a time.
The teens involved in the Good 2 Go program at Raw Art Works are creating a piece to be displayed at Neptune Court, along the route of the former Saugus Branch Railroad.
Big names, including City Councilor Peter Capano, Sen. Thomas McGee and Rep. Brendan Crighton (D-Lynn), support transforming the retired railroad into a continuation of the Northern Strand Community Trail bike path.
The project would be aligned with the Complete Streets Initiative adopted by the Lynn City Council last year. The policy formalizes a commitment by the city to have streets that are accessible and safe for all users. It could also mean additional state transportation money for the city.
Stephen Winslow, president of Bike to Sea, the organization working to extend the Northern Strand Community Trail from the Charles River to the Lynn waterfront, said the project fits the mission of the initiative. The trail is unique to each community it passes through.
“Traditionally, we’re trying to make the canvas for other people to paint,” he said.
Raw Art Works is an organization that works to get children and teens involved with art and keep them off the streets.
The Good 2 Go artists, who specialize in public art, worked closely with Lisa Wallace, a Neptune Street Court resident and founder of the One Community, One Voice community group, to devise a design for the art. Wallace received a grant from the Lynn Cultural Council to fund the project.
The artists worked together to come up with a locomotive theme, showcasing the history of the tracks and other iconic elements of the city.
“This is the first piece that will start an initiative to bring back our neighborhoods,” said Wallace. “The path is going to be a big part of our neighborhoods, not just a bike trail. It will service the community and connect us right to the waterfront.”
City Councilor Peter Capano said the city neighborhoods feel isolated and the path would provide access to the new Market Basket and the waterfront.
“It will provide access to what’s going on with the rest of the city,” he said. “There has been a lot of neighborhood discussion. People want this. We tend to focus so much on attracting people here when the people who are here haven’t taken advantage of what the city has to offer.”
Projects like this create more pride for the community, Wallace said.
“They’ll feel more connected with the city,” she said. “There are buildings along there that have been tagged (with graffiti). If it’s good graffiti, (vandals) don’t touch it. People have respect for it.”
People won’t destroy what they’ve helped to create. You don’t need to have a lot of money to make something nice. Clean goes a long way.”
The artists have been working on the mural for more than a month, said Bruce Orr, director of the Good 2 Go program.
“This feels like it’s going to be a good way of renovating Lynn to make it more beautiful,” said 18-year-old Raymond Carela, who has been involved with Raw Art Works for four years.
Joshua Bonifaz, 17, who has been involved with the program for two years and has worked on three other murals, said, “Lynn is filled up with a whole bunch of different people with different causes. Art can be manipulated in a way we can help amplify their messages.”
The mural will also feature a blank section that children can fill in with paint. The section was designed by 16-year-old Austin Jagodynski.
“We wanted something that the kids could do so they feel like they’re a part of the project too,” Jagodynski said. “It has a train track design, which is keeping with the theme.”
The mural is expected to take three more weeks to complete.
Bridget Turcotte can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @BridgetTurcotte.