LOWELL — The city of Lowell transformed into a classroom for more than a dozen students from Kathryn P. Stoklosa Middle School Middle School on a spring morning. During a walking tour of the ArtUp Lowell murals coordinated by Project LEARN, these young creatives were immersed in the world of public art right in the city they call home.
“Having the opportunity to get out of the classroom and see artwork made within their own city was incredibly eye-opening for the kids,” said Elizabeth Birkhead, an arts educator at Stoklosa Middle School. “They seemed to genuinely appreciate hearing about artists, both local and from afar, who came here for the purpose of creating these public pieces.”
Matthew Gillis, community schools program manager at Stoklosa Middle School, noted that this was an opportunity for students to witness firsthand the transformative power of using art to instill pride and infuse vibrancy into Lowell’s diverse neighborhoods.
“The murals hold profound significance. Each painting not only showcases the artist’s culture or passion, but also resonated deeply with many of our students who were thrilled to see their own cultural identities represented,” said Gillis.
One student in the group even felt inspired to spontaneously perform the Apsara, a national dance of Cambodia whose graceful gestures narrate classical myths and religious stories, in front of the mural of the same name by Boston-based artist Mattaya Fitz.
The group, led by Project LEARN Development Manager Autumn Kleiner, viewed 11 of the ArtUp Lowell murals across four Lowell neighborhoods.
Launched by the organization in 2019, ArtUp Lowell is a communitywide program that celebrates the city’s artists, creatives, entrepreneurs, and educators through place-based installations. Since then, ArtUp Lowell has enabled the installation of 12 large-scale murals by local and international artists, with more projects to come this summer.
“ArtUp Lowell’s mission extends beyond merely installing art in public spaces,” said Project LEARN Executive Director LZ Nunn. “ArtUp’s goal is to amplify the transformative impact on communities through active involvement of young artists.”
At each of the mural sites, Kleiner encouraged the students to share what they saw in the pieces and how they connected to them. She also prompted the aspiring artists to take notice of the intricate details in the murals and how the smallest elements can make the biggest impact.
Sixth grader Guillermo Fernandez said his favorite piece was “The Bee” by Abington-based artist Adam O’Day and Colombian artist Felipe Ortiz, located on the Merrimack Street side of UMass Lowell’s University Crossing at 220 Pawtucket St.
“I liked how it was colorful and that you could see the texture,” Guillermo recalled.
In June, these Stoklosa students learned directly from Ortiz, who installed a new large-scale mural on their school building, which also involved participatory art-making with students. The project is part of a larger ArtUp public art trail which will launch a series of art installations this summer, and is grant-funded in part from the city’s American Rescue Plan Act funds.
“I liked the hidden murals that weren’t on the main streets,” said seventh grader Esmeralda Feliberty. “It was fun because it was kind of like a hide-and-seek game, finding art you weren’t expecting.”
While some of the students had already encountered some of the murals, Birkhead said learning about the artists and the stories behind their work was deeply meaningful.
“It made the idea of creating and displaying art a lot more achievable for them,” said Birkhead, noting that the students previously worked with artists Matthew Wolterding and Michael Talbot to conceptualize and design a mural for their school gym.
Following the tour, the students made their way to Mill No. 5 for lunch at Coffee and Cotton. Then they headed upstairs to support Lowell’s creative community by shopping at Curation 250, an established contemporary art gallery and shop.
Ellen Casazza, owner of Curation 250, said she loved watching the students’ excitement over the muralists’ studio work.
“Hosting them at the gallery was such a fun experience,” Casazza said. “The fact they could bring a piece of local art home shows young people yet another unique way that artists’ expression can have a lasting impact.”
In fact, fifth grader Justin Miranda said he couldn’t even bring himself to pinpoint a favorite aspect of the field trip because he enjoyed the entire experience so much.
“It was amazing,” Justin said. “It was like a vacation from all the stress of school, but we still learned so much.”