ARTISTS FOR HUMANITY
Boston, Massachusetts 2017
Copyright © 2017 by Artists For Humanity All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. For information, address Artists for Humanity, 100 W. 2nd St., Boston, MA 02127. www.afhboston.org For Emerson College Editorial Supervisor: Elizabeth Parfitt Editorial Team: Sarah Alexander, Bianca Assaf, Jacqueline Burke, Genna Coleman, Leah D’sa, Caroline Fortuna, Gemma Guerrazzi, Sebastion Jakymiw, Abigail Marta, Kelly McGarry, Jessica Morris, Emily Scherny, Julia Tranfaglia, Isabella Waltz, Janii Yazon Design Supervisor: Lisa Diercks Cover Design: Sophia Calhoun Design and Production Team: J. Timothy Biddick, Sophia Calhoun, Kira Dayton, Samantha Harton, Cindy Luu, Carly Miller, Emily Pfaff, Haley Sherif, Madison Silvers, Claire Torres Project Consultants: Michelle Betters, Gabrielle Roman First Edition: March 2017
FOR ALL OF THE YOUNG PEOPLE WHO HAVE DEVELOPED THEIR VOICE, VISION, AND VIRTUOSITY AT ARTISTS FOR HUMANITY TO MAKE OUR CITY A MORE VIBRANT, INCLUSIVE, AND EQUITABLE PLACE.
TABLE OF CONTENTS INTERVIEWS
ART
Jim Batchelor
Altine Agwu, Sharpe
John Cannistraro
Jacob Allen, Mural
Pat Cornelison
Samuel Andre, Music DJ Dance Party
Haywood Fennell
Dan Backman, Fortpoint
Mushen Kieta
Donnell Baez, City Water
Brenda Leong
Donnell Baez, Street
Carlo Lewis
Nicole Baldner, Couple alone rejected lonely single street
Melissa MacDonnell
Nicole Baldner, One of many
Free Marseille
Nicole Baldner, Street 1
Nina Nicolosi
Andy Vicente Barbosa, Rocket
Jamilyah Richardson
Lee Beard, Some
Rob Sabal
Jeremy Becker, Self-portrait
Caroline Taggart
Sadia Bies, Self-portrait
Jason Talbot
Sadia Bies, Wendy Michel Portrait Magic Mice Spirit Animals Skull
Armani Thomas
Jaleela Browder & Jamilyah Richardson, DNA collab
David Walek
Damon Butler, Tribal Man Maskcropped Marvin Bynoe, Girl 1 Marvin Bynoe, Politician president news media speech Zi Jun Cen, Self-portrait John Cepeda, Gorilla
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Rassan Charles, Angel Devil
Mike Guadarrama, City
William Che, Self-portrait
DaQuan Haines, Geography Sunset Bridge
William Che, Undercontrol
Isabel Hibbard, Portrait
Gary Chen, Self-portrait
Deanna Hillery, City
May Cho, Zebra
Fatma Hussein, Hot Air Balloon Sand Desert Magic Dreams
Kewon Colvin, Untitled
Fatma Hussein, Islam Mosque Muslim Culture
Adriana Dalice, Boy Purple Building Green Forest Trees
Fatma Hussein, Muslim Girl 2
Adriana Dalice, Light gray background African American girl dark braids tube top white-ish flower on right side of tube top
Frennel Jean-Georges, Drawing
Tatiana Dalice, Portrait woman colorful rihanna
Danielle Jones, Orange poet
Tatiana Dalice, White Girl Eyes Closed Lashes Short Hair
Patrick Joseph, Shadow AFH Painting Studio
Samantha Davern, Boston Venice Global Warming Underwater City Climate Change Boat
Mushen Kieta, Class Portrait
Samantha Davern, Flash light Road Path Lonely Guidance Alone Darkness
Pattaraporn Kittisapkajon, Self-portrait
Leon “Tacoh” Dorsainvil, Penguin Animals Space Astronaut Leon “Tacoh” Dorsainvil, Woman Space Nebula David Allen Douyon, Park Kid Arms Up Nicole Dubov, Abstract Geometric Blue Yellow Salim Elijah, Angel Salim Elijah, Untitled Maaza Fadel El Said, Girl Pinks Black Head Cover Tamari Fernandes, Dirty Hands Bucket Water Paint Tube Tamari Fernandes, African American Man in White Coat Doctor Raul Fernandez, El Salvador Mattaya Fitts, Bottle Richard Gomez, MBTA Green Line City Boston Pt. 1 Massiel Grullon, Self-portrait 4X Jose Guadarrama, Bboys
Danielle Jones, Blue poetry
David King, Globe Maggie Krylova, Field Maggie Krylova, Untitled Andre Lambert, Massiel Andre Lambert, Stan Cassandra Lattimore, Camera Cassandra Lattimore, Girl2 Cassandra Lattimore, Hair Salon Braid Beauty Daquan Lawrence, BEAD Self-portrait Profile Humphrey Lena, Cops Carlo Lewis, AFH Paintings Corina Li, Couple Corina Li, Dusk Water Sea Clouds Reflection Samantha Li, Abstract Black and White Samantha Li, Harbor Islands Books Recycle Knowledge School Reading Nature Tree
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Jian Ci Liang, Babies.
Jesus Mendes, Dominican Flag Self-portrait
Jian Ci Liang, Blackeye
Yorkari Mercedes, Abstract Tree
Jian Ci Liang, Emotions Sadness Happy Depression Feelingsmask
Yorkari Mercedes, Flowers Abstract Nature
Jian Ci Liang, World
Wendy Michel, Untitled
Agnes Wanbin Long, Boats River Landscape
Cate Mitchell, Abstract and Black White 1
Samantha Lopez, Abstract White Lines Green Red Blue
Cate Mitchell, Abstract and Black White 2
Brudnoy Marcelin, Abstact Masks
Fabiola Moquete, Science
Sarah Martin, Walmart
Roman Murray, Dichotomy
Marcos Martinez, King of Hearts Prince Love Crown
Nathalie Myrthil, Boy Poem Blood
Marcos Martinez, RUN DMC Music Hip Hop Rap Sneakers Adidas Graffiti Stencil
Silvi Naci, Self-portrait
Nestor Martino, Kids Family Baby
Jordan Nelson, Paint Studio Easel People Painting
Nestor Martino, MLK2
Rashad Nelson, Abstract Gray
Luis Mayers, mime
Kim Nguyen, Pigeons
Edward McColgan, Abstract Bees GPOE
Billy Biz Nunez, Blue Pregnant Woman Vase
Edward McColgan, Swirl Abstact Pink Blue
Huiying Ou, Staircase Charlestown
Edward McColgan, Abstract Words
Kitauna Parker, Bright Yellow White Text Words
Edward McColgan, Abstract Shapes
Anne Rose Passe, Self-portrait
Edward McColgan, Scary Abstract Face
Anne-Rose Passe, Girl
Nia McDonald, Camera
Amanda Pelrine, Bostn City Bubbles Rainbow
Nia McDonald, Grandfather Clock Earth World
Delyn Phanor, Face
Loray McDuffie, Robot
Jack Quinn, Face
Savanna McKay, Crane
Jesse Racusen, Utopia
Savanna McKay, Guitar
Jameel Radcliffe, Self-portrait Avatar
Samantha Mckenzie, Self-portrait blue hair afro
Betzaida Ramos, Self-portrait
Samantha McKenzie, Moon Girl Dream Wish Sad Alien
Wesley Reyes, Bus
Fritz Mead, Flowers
Wesley Reyes, Cannistraro
Laura Medina, Trees Woods Mind Brain Thoughts Nature
Wesley Reyes, Running
Jackie Mello, Face
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Uro Nazy’at, Curb
Jamilyah Richardson & Jaleela Browder, DNA Collaboration
Ammany Ty, Girl Screaming Blue Shirt Pink Faces
Patricia Romelus, Black Woman Tree Mother Nature Earth Scale Goddess
Max Urena, Light Suit Quotes Unity
Takii Samuels, Green Abstract
Nathan Waldron, Bluefire
Takii Samuels, Self-portrait
Nathan Waldron, Untitled
Stan Sanon, Abstract
David Wang, Cartoon
Stan Sanon, Dynamite
David Wang, Man
Stan Sanon, Self-portrait
David Wang, Shopping supermarket food soda junk food
Jerome Shelton, Veterans
Tateyauna Wilson, Zipper Abstract Drips
Jerome Shelton & Sarah Nguyen, Grafitti birds fishes city
Tateyauna Wilson, Abstract Green Blue
Garima Sood, Untitled
Eleanor Wong, Kiss
Jason Talbot, Simultaneously Witnessing All Things
Brenda Woods, AFH Logo Polaroids
Lom Thaing, Turtle Underwater Sea Ocean City Fish
Brenda Woods, Red Lips Spoon Mouth Crazy Talented
Armani Thomas, Self-portrait Selfie Boy Glasses Smile
Stephanie Wu, Orange Background Teal Blue Paint Orange Sea Creatures Black Outline
Wilton Tejeda, Long Exposure Traffic Cars Street Tremont Bolyston Boston
Sean Vanderhall, Dunce
Yan Lan Wu, Colorful Tree Paint Splatters
Jimmy Tran, 777
Xiang Liang Xu, Corruption Government
Coliesha Turner & Nicole Dubov, Geometric Abstract Lime Green Ammany Ty, Cambodia Nature Bubbles Kids Playing Fun Sunset
Xiang Liang Xu, Self-portrait Born This Way Lady Gaga Unicorn Fashion
Ammany Ty, Camera Photography Art City
Vivian Yu, Forest Trash Environmental Magic
Ammany Ty, Girl Innocent Fashion Skirts Dresses Shoes Wallflower
Jiayin Zhou, Cars Traffic Lights
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INTRODUCTION
W
hen I imagined Artists For Humanity 25 years ago, I had no idea what was possible. At that time, I was raising my daughter twenty miles south of Boston and working with kids in a suburban community. I saw the positive impact the creative process had on them, but I thought kids from Boston’s neighborhoods should have the same opportunity. Just a single exposure to art and the creative process, I thought, could change a life. I knew my life had been changed by my experience as a teenage artist. I was fortunate to be exposed to the arts and I wanted to replicate my own experience for young people who didn’t have access. My idea was to go into a middle school and make a collaborative painting with a group of kids. I felt it was important for teens from the city’s most
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under-resourced neighborhoods to have a voice. I had this vision that their work would be appreciated, and their opinions would be valued. I wanted the process to be fun, while also helping kids work together to create something that was about them—individually and collectively. The early ’90s were a pivotal time in Boston’s history. There was a lot of violence—especially in disenfranchised communities. Neighborhoods were in transition, and schools were not far removed from the desegregation busing crisis that left many communities in heartbreak. Art was simply not a priority for public schools, and the kids were left suffering the consequences. After calling a dozen or more schools, only one person truly understood my mission and invited me in to make a painting with his students. That principal was Dr. Steven Leonard at Dorchester’s Martin Luther King Jr. Junior High School.
Showing up at that junior high in 1991 is where the Artists For Humanity story really begins. What most people probably don’t know is that I almost didn’t get inside. When I arrived at the school, all the doors were barred with two-by-fours from the inside to keep people from outside getting in. It was unlike anything I’d ever experienced. I circled the building multiple times trying to gain access, knocking on doors and pulling handles. Finally, the kitchen doors opened for the food delivery trucks. I went in with the vegetables—like any resourceful artist would. But that day ended up being the day I met the people who would become co-founders of the organization: Jason Talbot, Rob Gibbs, and Carlo Lewis. In that first conversation, I had a simple plan for the project. I talked to the kids about how important it was to have a voice and told them this was their opportunity
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to get their art on the walls of law firms and banks. This painting was an opportunity to tell people what they thought and earn the money so we could make another piece. Like many kids, Jason and Rob will tell you they came to paint because they got to skip class. But I knew we all had fun making that first piece. The end of that project was the beginning of everything. After just a few weeks of making art, those kids needed and wanted more. I often say that if I had known what would happen next, if I could have seen or had a window into the future, I would’ve run the other way. Very fast! From that point on, we never stopped moving. It was critical that I met this particular group of kids who were just “Do it” people. They never, ever would dream of saying no. If I’d had a different batch of kids, this might not have happened. It was a crucial coming together of people that connected on an incredibly deep level. It was fate. They wanted more and they weren’t going to give up on it. They were willing to do anything and everything they could to promote their own
voice—to be part of the world. We just had to figure out how to be heard. That group of kids is what led me to the program as it is today. Cultural equity was the base motivation, the foundation of what drove me to start Artists For Humanity. It all starts with that opportunity to create—that invitation to be human—to establish space for young creatives to exist in the world. Self-expression is necessary in all communities. It’s unjust for someone to be excluded from a process that is so important in the development of humanity. But as beautiful as that invitation to create sounds, creating economic equity and self-sufficiency is the reality of being an artist. I knew early on that the only way to continue to work with young people was to figure out ways to sustain it. Our plan was inspired by blending craftsmanship with fine art and training. We’d make things to earn money. . . so that we could buy more materials, and make more things. It seemed like a simple concept. The kids embraced it immediately. They were used to this idea
that you had to make things because you couldn’t afford to buy them. Necessity is the mother of invention. That necessity to sustain the program kept us pushing the boundaries around what we could sell. Yet we were also conscious of the reward—the feeling like your work is playing a role and is a value to other people. Once we made that first piece, we had something to show. At the time, Mel King, a community organizer and political leader in the '70s and '80s, was running the Community Fellows Program at MIT. I went there hoping he would help me find funding and support. Mel quickly recognized the value in our idea, and jumped in as my mentor. He’d been community organizing and developing social enterprises before anybody knew what they were. That changed a lot for us. We were on our way to building a portfolio, and it gave us a layer of credibility. In 1992, Mel introduced me to the late Dr. Peter Gil, who was a professor at MIT’s Sloan School of Management. Dr. Gil invited us to airbrush t-shirts in the
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Introduction
school’s huge marbled lobby. We set up easels and airbrushes and compressors. Each of the kids designed his or her own Sloan logo and people lined up to buy these t-shirts. Among our clients that day was a group of international CEOs who were meeting upstairs and heard what we were up to. They thought this project was what America was all about. Suddenly there were fifteen or twenty people waiting in line for each of the six artists’ t-shirts. They paid in cash. We had five inches of bills at the end of the day. The kids passed it around and took turns counting it. They talked about reinvesting the money and what they needed to create more projects—better airbrushes, another compressor. They fought over how to reinvest it. That was when I realized they truly did know what to do; they just needed the opportunity to do it. In 1994, our first exhibition opened at the Nielsen Gallery on Newbury Street. At the time, that was the height of an artist’s acclaim in Boston. This was a gallery owner, a very successful curator, who saw what I saw: the incredible talent and
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ideas that represented the times in this fresh and authentic way. That first show included a whole wall of stapled t-shirts forming a grid and showing images of babies with bullet holes. A few years later, we did a show where we wrapped the entire gallery in rolls of paper that had spray-painted representations of all the kids who were in the show. They made these larger-than-life images of themselves, and next to them was a small painting that represented their inner selves. The external self and the inner self—like a shield. To get from room to room you had to walk through their cutout images. You had to become them. We went on to have an annual gallery exhibit there for several years. This allowed us to be pioneering. Showing the work in a gallery on Newbury Street was an incredible experience for all of us, but it was particularly transformational for the young people. Suddenly they became part of something that was out of their sphere of reality, yet they were also welcomed and comfortable in that reality. That show became the ultimate
bridge of their experience and their work with the community and their city. When a kid sold a piece of art he earned 50% commission, but all of us reaped the benefits. Those early years certainly strengthened our mission to empower young people as well as their communities through creative entrepreneurship. In the beginning, no one was paying youth. That's probably been the hard est piece of this project: getting peopleto understand that artists must get paid for what they do. Even when times were tight, our young people were always paid for their contributions. What we realized before anyone else was they couldn’t participate if they didn’t get paid. Otherwise, they had to get a job somewhere else. We valued them, so we figured out how to pay them. I still have one of the early time sheets, and it says, “time in,” “time out,” and “money borrowed.” Everyone had to borrow money before they got paid at the end of the week so they could get to work on the train. But somehow even the kids understood that “money borrowed” was an investment. Not only in the organization, but also in themselves.
We never wasted much time. We were lucky because moments like the Nielsen Gallery kept happening to encourage us. People continued to hear about the organization and support us. Kids persistently succeeded and wanted to be a part of us. Boston grew to be a place that understood us. We were in the right place at the right time in the 1990s, for example, when the Boston Wharf company was relocating an artist into a much bigger building and there was loft space available for us as well. We went from 500 square feet to 10,000 square feet overnight. We set up shop in one corner because we were so used to being together in a small cramped space. It was magical that we were able to continue like that. In fact, for many years we survived on the magic of my credit card. We always needed money, so we learned how to get creative with resources. The definition of a canvas became anything we could drag inside. At one point we saved 50 rolls of leftover wool from a building that was being torn down. We carried them one by one to our studio, piled them up, and played
king of the mountain. We painted on the wool and made things out of it. We found the paint trays we still use today in the same building—they were Korean War surplus. Sustainability is a choice. The first step in being sustainable is just to decide to make it a priority. Since the beginning, reusing and recycling materials is what we do. When you need to make things happen and you don’t have the cash, you find other ways. We make the most out of what we’ve got. I think it’s a great lesson because it’s a metaphor for the kids too: this is how you take something and transform it to the best it can be. We’ve always scraped things together to make bigger things happen. When we didn’t have any money to hire staff artists, we traded free studio space in exchange for mentoring teens from three to six on weekdays—those crucial after-school hours. It didn’t add to our budget, but it did achieve our goal. This early model—artists exchanging time and mentorship for space and kids getting paid to make art—was the genesis of the current one. By now
we’ve worked with most of our mentors during their high school years; they’ve gone through Artists For Humanity, and they have shared the same experiences as the kids they're mentoring. In other words, our teens are being mentored by people from their own communities. There’s nothing better than to be able to look up to someone who grew up next door to you. The kids really connect with this multilayered and multi-generational mentorship; they’re seeing themselves and their future, whether it’s here or somewhere else. For many of our mentors, Artists For Humanity is a lifelong commitment. They’ve been here for more than half their lives. They just keep coming back. Certain images have stood out over many, many years as embodiments of the true mission of the organization—the empowerment of young people through the creative process. The greatest highlight for me is seeing young people on the canvas, learning about their inner selves, without even knowing it. That is the beginner’s mind at work; they're just letting it rip and figuring it all out later.
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This beginner’s mind is what inspires the organization every day, and what inspired this book as well. We want to showcase the art that represents the goals and the vision of the organization. We want to share the work that tells a story of young people. Working at Artists For Humanity gives young people the platform, the confidence, and self respect to tell their own story. Every new personality that comes in adds a new dimension to our collective story, just as the clients, donors, friends, teens, and artists in this book continue to create an environment that provides all of us with the opportunity to envision a creative, sustainable and unconventional future. Very much like we hope to provide for the kids. People come to us when they know that there’s something that they want done and no one else can do it. They know we can do it, and that we say yes. We figure it out. That’s what keeps us excited. Yes, we’re an arts organization, and we’ve got an entrepreneurial ethos. We never know what’s going to walk in the door, and that’s an extremely motivating
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challenge. When the kids witness that momentum, they become part of it. Imagine having that experience when you’re fourteen and you’re coming here after school, three days a week. The attitude becomes embedded in your routine. Week after week, year after year, it becomes part of you. This generosity of spirit is what makes Artists For Humanity unique. Whether you’ve been with us for 2 years or 25 years, we’re all living the same mission and experiencing the same ride as the kid who painted his first self-portrait last week. We’re constantly learning and figuring out new ways to do things that we’d never dreamed possible. As you look within these pages, you’ll see representations of those moments we’d never dreamed were possible, as well as those we always knew we could achieve. When we wanted to build the EpiCenter, for example, some of our friends and supporters didn’t think it was feasible. They thought it was too much of a reach—too expensive, too difficult. But I said we should try—if you don’t try you’ve already failed. We were going to
do all we could to build it right. We refused to settle. That’s the essential message we tell our kids. Aim for the stars, aim as far as you can, and don’t be afraid of getting there. Make the most out of what you’ve got. It has been an interesting experiment figuring out what makes kids work. What are the needs of fourteen-year-olds in our city? How do we take those many needs and roll them into one experience? For the last 25 years, we’ve spent most of our time experimenting and figuring out what our collective capabilities are. We expect the best of young people. We have learned young people really wanted to be part of something important. Together we put blood, sweat, and tears into it, and success came to us. Artists For Humanity has always been an organization with the mantra, the more ideas, the better. I’d like to think that everyone feels a part of Artists For Humanity. It’s a creation of everyone who’s here. I came in through the kitchen of a locked high school, ready to take on an artistic experiment. Today, I stand in our 24,000 square-foot studio,
one of the most sustainable buildings in the city of Boston, at the center of a social enterprise. No one’s teaching us how to do this; we’ve all had to figure it out. Many years later, our biggest hope is that the communities we work with see the value in being creative. The aesthetic part of the world is what keeps us connected to life. It’s what makes us human. One day our culture is going to figure that out. In the meantime, we’ve at least learned one equation that we know works: the kids will keep showing up, we’ll keep making and selling art, and Artists For Humanity will continue to make the most of what we’ve got. —Susan Rodgerson (January 2017)
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Introduction
ARTISTS FOR HUMANITY
JASON TALBOT
AFH Co-Founder & Director of Special Projects
“Simultaneously Witnessing All Things” was created in 1993 in the formative years of Artists For Humanity. Painted large–3’ x 6’–in a bold graffiti style, it was exhibited on the walls of the prestigious Nielsen Gallery. Jason recalls, “Having my work in that gallery made me feel like someone special, someone worthy, someone respected. It became a real magnetic feeling to have an accomplishment like that--have an experience like that. People were coming to me, talking to me–wanted to know what I thought.“ “It’s one of the reasons why I work hard to make sure other kids have that same experience. It’s why I’m still at Artists For Humanity after 25 years. When I have teens see their art on the wall, I understand what's going on inside them, there’s some real validation there, they see something and they have their voice.”
“
I ONCE MENTORED A YOUNG PERSON WHO HAD ARTIST'S BLOCK, AND I WAS LIKE, 'JUST IMAGINE THIS IS A WINDOW THROUGH THE WALL LOOKING OFF INTO SOME NEW WORLD—WHAT WOULD IT LOOK LIKE?' TO MAKE A WORLD, TO PAINT WHAT YOU WISH THERE WAS, TO MAKE WHAT YOU NEED AND DON’T HAVE, TO EXPRESS WHAT YOU CAN’T SAY IN WORDS IS HUGELY IMPORTANT.”
”
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Simultaneously Witnessing All Things, Jason Talbot
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DAVID WALEK
Former Chairman, AFH Board of Directors
David Walek, a corporate lawyer, spent his early career with the firm Ropes & Gray, bringing companies like Reebok public. Not long after discovering AFH, David took them on as a pro-bono client. He explains, “It’s safe to say that I was just completely taken with AFH. I remember thinking, ‘This is so special I better grab onto this. You don’t let these opportunities go by.'” After 25 years of involvement as a lawyer and a board member, David now serves as the Board Chair.
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“
AS PART OF THE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION, WE TRY AS MUCH AS WE CAN TO GENERATE REVENUE AND ACT LIKE A BUSINESS. THAT WAS UNIQUE IN THE BEGINNING AND IT’S STILL PRETTY UNIQUE NOW.
”
Globe, David King
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Dirty Hands Bucket Water Paint Tube, Tamari Fernandes
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Tribal Man Maskcropped, Damon Butler
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Grafitti Birds Fishes City, Jerome Shelton & Sarah Nguyen
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Fortpoint, Dan Backman
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Face, Jackie Mello
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Mime, Luis Mayers
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Crane, Savanna McKay
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Stan, Andre Lambert
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Some, Lee Beard
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Cops, Lena Humphrey
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Utopia, Jesse Racusen
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City, Deanna Hillery
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Street 1, Nicole Baldner
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Abstract White Lines Green Red Blue, Samantha Lopez
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Mural, Jacob Allen
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Flash Light Road Path Lonely Guidance Alone Darkness, Samantha Davern
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CARLO LEWIS
AFH Co-Founder & Painting Studio Director
As one of the founding members of Artists For Humanity, Carlo Lewis understands the value of the organization firsthand. According to Carlo, his painting ‘The Key’, is about opportunity. “You know, growing up into the city and finding doors that are open to provide greater opportunity to elevate myself beyond my social and economic background,” he says. The image represents “the idea of going from one period of your life to another. And then the key is dropping because you no longer need the key cause the keys within you, so you can unlock your own doors.” After graduating with a degree in Architecture from RISD in 2001, Carlo’s first project was working at Arrowstreet on the design for the Artists For Humanity EpiCenter.
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“
THE GREAT THING WITH AFH IS THEY DON'T PUT LIMITS ON ANYONE. YOU CAN GO AS FAR AS YOU WANT TO GO. YOU DON'T FEEL LIKE YOU'RE BEING LECTURED TO. YOU ALWAYS FEEL AS THOUGH INDIVIDUALS ARE WORKING TOGETHER TO CREATE AND TO COME UP WITH NEW IDEAS.
”
Untitled, Carlo Lewis
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Angel, Salim Elijah
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Self-portrait, Sadia Bies
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Untitled, Salim Elijah
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Gorilla, John Cepeda
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MELISSA MACDONNELL
Vice President & Director of Corporate Affairs, Liberty Mutual
“We know that there is nothing more powerful than providing a young person from a low-income background with educational and career opportunities,” says Melissa MacDonnell, Vice President and Director of Corporate Affairs for the Boston branch of the Liberty Mutual Group. “Artists For Humanity is innovative and creative, and that is really important as far as helping young people to develop skills and get jobs in a space that they will love.”
“
YOU CAN’T ARGUE WITH THE RESULTS. THE NUMBER OF KIDS THAT ARE GOING TO COLLEGE OR GRADUATING HIGH SCHOOL IS VERY HIGH BECAUSE THE EXPECTATIONS SET FOR THE YOUNG PEOPLE IN THIS PROGRAM ARE EQUALLY HIGH.
”
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Massiel, Andre Lambert
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City, Mike Guadarrama
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Dichotomy, Roman Murray
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RUN DMC Music Hip Hop Rap Sneakers Adidas Graffiti Stencil, Marcos Martinez
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ML2K, Nestor Martino
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MUSHEN KIETA
Entrepreneur, Filmmaker, & Alum
Looking back on his time at Artists For Humanity, Mushen Kieta recalls, “A lot of the change that AFH blessed me with was in reflection. All of the growth I felt didn’t come until after I was out of the program and I started to reflect on all the opportunities that AFH was providing for me–all of the conversations, and mentoring. There were plenty of instances where my mentor Jason Talbot would find me at an event and be like ‘Hey, some people are looking at your painting. Go talk to them.’ It didn’t come until later when it hit me and I said, 'Okay. Let me cultivate myself and change myself into who I feel like I should be, and who I want to be.'”
“
I CAME TO AFH AND I GOT TO SEE A BUNCH OF PEOPLE IN DIFFERENT ART STYLES AND DIFFERENT LEVELS OF ART AND ART SKILLS. I WAS INFLUENCED SO MUCH MORE THAN I THOUGHT I WOULD BE.
”
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Blue Pregnant Woman Vase, Billy Biz Nunez
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Class Portrait, Mushe Kieta
Portrait, Isabel Hibbard
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Kids Family Baby, Nestor Martino
Bboys, Jose Guadarrama
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Self-portrait, Anne Rose Passe
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Undercontrol, William Che
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Self-portrait, Betzaida Ramos
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MBTA Green Line City Boston Pt. 1, Richard Gomez
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Dunce, Sean Vanderhall
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Blue Poetry, Danielle Jones
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Self-portrait, Silvi Naci
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Orange Poet, Danielle Jones
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Couple, Corina Li
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Light Suit Quotes Unity, Max Urena
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Babies, Jian Ci Liang
Face, Delyn Phanor
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Abstract Words, Edward McColgan
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Blackeye, Jian Ci Liang
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Drawing, Frennel Jean-Georges
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Boy Purple Building Green Forest Trees, Adriana Dalice
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African American Man in White Coat Doctor, Tamari Fernandes
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Couple Alone Rejected Lonely Single Street, Nicole Baldner
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Self-portrait Blue Hair Afro, Samantha Mckenzie
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Shadow AFH Painting Studio, Patrick Joseph
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Bus, Wesley Reyes
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Self-portrait, William Che
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Self-portrait, Jeremy Becker
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Dominican Flag Self-portrait, Jesus Mendes
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Guitar, Savanna McKay
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Artists For Humanity
Abstract Black and White 1, Cate Mitchell
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Sharpe, Altine Agwu
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Artists For Humanity
Hair Salon Braid Beauty, Cassandra Lattimore
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Light Gray Background African American Girl Dark Braids Tube Top White-ish Flower On Right Side of Tube Top, Adriana Dalice
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Artists For Humanity
Shopping supermarket food soda junk food, David Wang
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Self-portrait 4x, Massiel Grullon
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Artists For Humanity
Walmart, Sarah Martin
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Curb, Uro Nazy’at
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Artists For Humanity
Boy Poem Blood, Nathalie Myrthil
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AFH Logo Polaroids, Brenda Woods
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Artists For Humanity
Self-portrait, Gary Chen
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Flowers, Fritz Mead
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Artists For Humanity
Untitled, Wendy Michel
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Abstract, Stan Sanon
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Artists For Humanity
One of Many, Nicole Baldner
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Running, Wesley Reyes
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Artists For Humanity
City Water, Donnell Baez
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JIM BATCHELOR
Principal Architect, Arrowstreet
As one of the Arrowstreet architects designing Artist For Humanity's EpiCenter, Jim Batchelor witnessed firsthand the collaborative atmosphere of the organization. "We emphasized involvement of the students and the staff in generating ideas so that spirit of people being empowered could apply to the design," Batchelor says. By thinking of the building as a large canvas, Batchelor and his team built a home for AFH that represents the liveliness of its inhabitants. "The most important thing for us," Batchelor explains, "was to make a place that was as cool as what the art students were doing."
“
PROBABLY THE NUMBER ONE VALUE IS THAT YOU CAN DO IT. I MEAN THE SENSE THAT ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE. WHETHER IT'S ART OR SOMETHING ELSE—I THINK THAT'S WHAT YOU HAVE TO BELIEVE—THAT ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE. IT'S COOL, FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN YOU'RE WORKING WITH SIMPLE MODELS AND HIGH SCHOOL KIDS ARE THROWING OUT IDEAS FOR A BUILDING.
”
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Artists For Humanity
Face, Jack Quinn
101
Park Kid Arms Up, David Allen Douyon
102
Artists For Humanity
Staircase Charlestown, Huiying Ou
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Muslim Girl 2, Fatma Hussein
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Artists For Humanity
Cars Traffic Lights, Jiayin Zhou
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kiss, Eleanor Wong
106
Artists For Humanity
Zebra, May Cho
107
Abstract Black and White, Samantha Li
108
Artists For Humanity
Camera, Cassandra Lattimore
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Street, Donnell Baez
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Artists For Humanity
White Girl Eyes Closed Lashes Short Hair, Tatiana Dalice
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Artists For Humanity
El Salvador, Raul Fernandez
Abstract Green Blue, Tateyauna Wilson
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Girl Pinks Black Head Cover, Maaza Fadel El Said
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Artists For Humanity
Girl Screaming Blue Shirt Pink Faces, Ammany Ty
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Self-portrait Avatar, Jameel Radcliffe
116
Artists For Humanity
Girl, Anne Rose Passe
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Camera, Nia McDonald
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Artists For Humanity
Green Abstract, Takii Samuels
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Self-portrait Born This Way Lady Gaga Unicorn Fashion, Xiang Liang Xu
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Artists For Humanity
Long Exposure Traffic Cars Street Tremont Boylston Boston, Wilton Tejeda
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Girl 2, Cassandra Lattimore
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Artists For Humanity
Portrait Woman Colorful Rihanna, Tatiana Dalice
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BRENDA LEONG
AFH Exhibition Manager & Alum
Brenda Leong’s experience at Artists For Humanity began when she was a freshman following her friends into the studios. “A lot of Boston public schools don’t have art, and I always have been interested in it,” Leong says. “I didn’t have classes or anything, so this was a great opportunity for me to learn and develop my skills. I used a portfolio of the work I created at AFH to get into college.” Now, years later, Leong is back at AFH, working as the Exhibition Manager. She collaborates with clients to develop concepts and curates teen art exhibits.
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Artists For Humanity
“
WE’RE CREATING AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE COMPANIES AND THE KIDS TO HAVE A DIALOGUE. THE WHOLE POINT IS TO GIVE TEENS A VOICE. WE’RE BRIDGING THE COMMUNITY AND HAVING THEM SEE WHAT THIS NEXT GENERATION OF KIDS CAN DO.
”
Untitled, Garima Sood
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NINA NICOLOSI
AFH Board of Advisors & Head of Human Resources, John Hancock When AFH was looking to create a board of advisors, Boston native Nina Nicolosi jumped at the chance. “I thought it’d be a great connect between my interest in learning and helping people, particularly helping people build careers, build a future for themselves, and my interest in the arts. For me it was two perfect things coming together. Artists For Humanity is so much about opportunity. It’s connecting with kids that may not have ‘all the advantages’ and frankly may not have the hope, may not have the optimism that they can achieve in their life, what they set out to do. They should, in fact, dream big. Artists For Humanity gives them a voice to show that they are important, that they do matter, that there are people who value their contributions.”
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Artists For Humanity
“
I’D DEFINE ARTISTS FOR HUMANITY BY TWO THINGS, AND ONE IS CERTAINLY SUSTAINABILITY, GIVING KIDS A REAL FUTURE THAT THEY CAN CONTROL. THE OTHER IS LIMITLESS. IT’S LETTING PEOPLE HAVE THAT HOPE IN THEIR POTENTIAL AND REALIZING THAT POTENTIAL.
”
BEAD Self-portrait, Daquan Lawrence
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Paint Studio Easel People Painting, Jordan Nelson
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Artists For Humanity
Self-portrait, Takii Samuels
129
Cartoon, David Wang
130
Artists For Humanity
Corruption Government, Xiang Liang Xu
131
Orange Background Teal Blue Paint Orange Sea Creatures Black Outline, Stephanie Wu
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Artists For Humanity
Untitled, Nathan Waldron
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Emotions Sadness Happy Depression Feelingsmask, Jian Ci Liang
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Artists For Humanity
Woman Space Nebula, Leon "Tacoh" Dorsainvil
135
JAMILYAH RICHARDSON
Artist & Alum
“This painting, DNA, was a collaborative piece between myself and another alumni Jaleela Browder. We wanted to do this because she carried the trait and I actually have sickle cell disease. I was in the hospital a good amount of time as a child. You see some elements that are very much me, and you see some elements that are very much her. The point of having these two people climbing up this DNA strand is to show that, despite being born with the trait or someone that is born with the actual disease, it shouldn’t stop you and shouldn’t keep you from accomplishing what you want to accomplish in life.”
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Artists For Humanity
“
IT WAS FREEDOM IN A WAY THAT IT WAS A PLACE WHERE I WAS ABLE TO GO TO AFTER SCHOOL, AND THERE WERE NO QUESTIONS ABOUT IT. I COULD COME HERE AND BE MYSELF AND BE FREE.
”
DNA Collaboration, Jaleela Browder & Jamilyah Richardson
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Geometric Abstract Lime Green, Coliesha Turner & Nicole Dubov
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Artists For Humanity
Penguin Animals Space Astronaut, Leon "Tacoh" Dorsainvil
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PAT CORNELISON
Principal Architect, Arrowstreet
Pat was the lead architect on the design of the Artists For Humanity EpiCenter. Named one of the Top Ten Green Buildings in the Nation, it helped set the standard for sustainable construction. Cornelison says, “Working with Artists For Humanity makes me hopeful that somebody in the younger generation is thinking about the place of people on earth and the future of the world, and the temporary nature of our occupancy. It makes me hopeful that they are aware of that and that they will understand the responsibility that we have to the earth, to the other occupants of the earth, and to the rest of humanity.”
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Artists For Humanity
“
ART GETS PEOPLE EXCITED, WORRIED, AND INVOLVED IN WAYS THAT MAKES THEM COMMIT TO THINGS WITHOUT KNOWING EXACTLY WHAT THE OUTCOME IS GOING TO BE. IT INSPIRES COMMITMENT IN WAYS THAT MORE RATIONAL KIND OF THOUGHT CAN’T.
”
Turtle Underwater Sea Ocean City Fish, Lom Thaing
141
Harbor Islands Books Recycle Knowledge School Reading Nature, Samantha Li
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Artists For Humanity
Grandfather Clock Earth World, Nia McDonald
143
Hot Air Balloon Sand Desert Magic Dreams, Fatma Hussein
144
Artists For Humanity
Bottle, Mattaya Fitts
145
Geography Sunset Bridge, DaQuan Haines
146
Artists For Humanity
World, Jian Ci Liang
147
Abstract Geometric Blue Yellow, Nicole Dubov
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Artists For Humanity
Boston Venice Global Warming Underwater City Climate Change Boat, Samantha Davern
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Boston City Bubbles Rainbow, Amanda Pelrine
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Artists For Humanity
Black Woman Tree Mother Nature Earth Scale Goddess, Patricia Romelus
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Pigeons, Kim Nguyen
152
Artists For Humanity
Forest Trash Environmental Magic, Vivian Yu
153
Boats River Landscape, Agnes Wanbin Long
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Artists For Humanity
Trees Woods Mind Brain Thoughts Nature, Laura Medina
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Rocket, Andy Vincente Barbosa
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Artists For Humanity
Camera Photography Art City, Ammany Ty
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JOHN CANNISTRARO
AFH Board of Advisors & President of Cannistraro
John has purchased paintings for his home and his business. “The paintings have helped to express, identify, and reinforce the brand in my company, and the culture in my company, as being progressive, innovative, thoughtful, and fun," he explains. "We install building and piping systems. When I look up at the art, I see a young person that has no idea what we do, and has no idea about the industry, come in and talk with me for five minutes. One artist, Wesley, put on a canvas what we were just talking about, and nailed it, like a vision. I see a whole other dimension of myself, working through these kids.”
“
THERE WASN’T A PAINTING I PURCHASED THAT I DIDN’T SPEAK TO THE ARTIST FIRST AND FIND OUT WHAT THEY WERE THINKING, WHAT THEIR PERSPECTIVE WAS, AND WHY THEY PAINTED IT. BUYING IT IS THE LAST THING I THINK ABOUT. THE FIRST THING I THINK ABOUT IS CONNECTION WITH THE ARTIST, AND THEIR PERSPECTIVE, AND HOW THEY SEE LIFE THROUGH THAT.
”
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Artists For Humanity
Cannistraro, Wesley Reyes
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HAYWOOD FENNELL
Community Activist
Haywood Fennell looked to Artists For Humanity to execute his vision of the Black Veterans Exhibit. “This project is about black veterans and their omitted history from the American Revolution up to World War II.” Through Haywood’s work, the exhibition has been widely reproduced and travels across the region to schools, libraries, and government offices.
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Artists For Humanity
“
WE MUST ENGAGE OUR YOUNG PEOPLE AND USE THEIR CREATIVE SKILLS TO BETTER PLACE THEM IN THE WORLD OR IN OUR COMMUNITY.
”
Veterans, Jerome Shelton
161
FREE MARSEILLE
AFH Painting Mentor, Recruitment Coordinator, & Alum A first generation Haitian immigrant, Free Marseille came to America at 8 years old. After Artists For Humanity, Free studied illustration at the Rhode Island School of Design. After graduating, Free returned to AFH as a mentor, feeling grateful for the opportunity to help a younger generation of students. “My favorite thing is having the opportunity to work with all types of young people. I see that as a privilege. I really realized the importance of connecting with people, because being in America, I have access to so many people and so many things.”
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Artists For Humanity
“
FOR ME, ART IS LESS ABOUT REACHING THIS BROAD AUDIENCE AND MORE ABOUT THE IDEA THAT MAYBE JUST ONE PERSON NEEDS TO SEE THIS.
”
Against Domestic Violence, Samantha Shave
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ARMANI THOMAS
AFH Teen Artist
Armani Thomas, just a freshman in high school, is already seeing his future potential with Artists For Humanity. “Being in a creative career was something I didn't think possible. AFH has helped me envision my future."
“
I REALLY LIKE IT BECAUSE IT WAS ME PUTTING IN 110% EFFORT AND IT WAS ME DOING SOMETHING I NEVER KNEW I WAS CAPABLE OF DOING.
”
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Artists For Humanity
Self-portrait Selfie Boy Glasses Smile, Armani Thomas
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ROB SABAL
Dean of the School of the Arts at Emerson College
As a professor and Dean of the School of the Arts at Emerson College, Rob Sabal helped cultivate a partnership that enabled Emerson students to collaborate with AFH on the creation of this book. He says, “I first heard about AFH when I had just started as dean. I loved the feel of the place; I loved what they were doing. I really just love the people. They’re passionate, dedicated, visionary people, and they believe so strongly in arts and the ability of the arts to expand people’s worlds.”
“
ARTISTS FOR HUMANITY ARTISTS TAKE SOMETHING THAT THEY ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT, AND FIND A WAY TO DO THAT AS WORK THAT CAN SUSTAIN THEM FOR A LOT OF THESE YOUNG PEOPLE IT JUST CHANGES HOW THEY SEE THEMSELVES. THEY’RE TRANSFORMED. THEY SEE THEMSELVES AS HAVING AGENCY IN THE WORLD.
”
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Artists For Humanity
Bright Yellow White Text Words, Kitauna Parker
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CAROLINE TAGGART
AFH Board of Directors & Independent Artist
“Colorful Tree Paint Splatters” by Yan Lan Wu is part of Caroline’s personal collection. “There’s all this energy coming off of it,” Caroline says. “I think this is almost a metaphor for what happens at AFH. It’s this depiction of a single tree, which I think suggests a tree of life, and that’s a powerful image in a lot of cultures and a lot of mythologies. It suggests connection between people or between humans. The tree is kind of unfurling and breaking into color at the top. It’s a great metaphor for the development of creative young minds and creative thinking.” “When you talk to the kids, it’s really almost palpable how proud they become of the work they’ve done. That is almost a gift that people acquire over time as they work. I think most people who pursue something, take pride in a job well done. But that is something that the teens here come away with at a pretty early age.”
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Artists For Humanity
“
WHAT THEY LEARN CREATIVELY IS REALLY ABOUT TRUSTING THEIR VOICES AND HAVING THEIR IDEAS VALIDATED AND SEEING THEIR IDEAS DEVELOPED INTO THINGS THEY CAN SEE, AND REALLY FEEL PROUD OF. AND THOSE THINGS TRANSCEND THEIR JOBS AS ARTISTS.
”
Colorful Tree Paint Splatters, Yan Lan Wu
169
Man, David Wang
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Artists For Humanity
Zipper Abstract Drips, Tateyauna Wilson
171
Red Lips Spoon Mouth Crazy Talented, Brenda Woods
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Artists For Humanity
Abstract Masks, Brudnoy Marcelin
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King of Hearts Prince Love Crown, Marcos Martinez
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Artists For Humanity
Abstract Bees GPOE, Edward McColgan
175
Self-portrait, Pattaraporn Kittisapkajon
176
Artists For Humanity
Field, Maggie Krylova
177
Untitled, Maggie Krylova
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Artists For Humanity
Dusk Water Sea Clouds Reflection, Corina Li
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Swirl Abstract Pink Blue, Edward McColgan
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Artists For Humanity
Abstract Shapes, Edward McColgan
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Scary Abstract Face, Edward McColgan
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Artists For Humanity
Robot, Loray McDuffie
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Moon Girl Dream Wish Sad Alien, Samantha Mckenzie
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Artists For Humanity
Untitled, Kewon Colvin
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Abstract Tree, Yorkari Mercedes
186
Artists For Humanity
Flowers Abstract Nature, Yorkari Mercedes
187
Abstract Black and White 2, Cate Mitchell
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Artists For Humanity
Science, Fabiola Moquete
189
Abstract Gray, Rashad Nelson
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Artists For Humanity
777, Jimmy Tran
191
Dynamite, Stan Sanon
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Artists For Humanity
Self-portrait, Stan Sanon
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Cambodia Nature Bubbles Kids Playing Fun Sunset, Ammany Ty
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Artists For Humanity
Girl Innocent Fashion Skirts Dresses Shoes Wallflower, Ammany Ty
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Bluefire, Nathan Waldron
196
Artists For Humanity
Islam Mosque Muslim Culture, Fatma Hussein
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Music DJ Dance Party, Samuel Andre
198
Artists For Humanity
Wendy Michel Portrait Magic Mice Spirit Animals Skull, Sadia Bies
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Girl 1, Marvin Bynoe
200
Artists For Humanity
Politician President News Media Speech, Marvin Bynoe
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Self-portrait, Zi Jun Cen
202
Artists For Humanity
Angel Devil, Rassan Charles
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