Activating Space
to Strengthen Communities
We believe that when communities find opportunity to come together to share their stories, their culture and their common interests, great things can happen. We hope to see you there too.
ABOUT US
Our Work
We introduce public art and curated experiences into the fabric of our communities by partnering with local community members and experts to design, produce and manage collaborative projects and programs.
Serving Cities, Towns, and People
We serve cities and towns where there are changes due to the loss of industry, shifts in population, or where there is underutilized infrastructure. We serve people, civic leaders, and business owners who want to work together to manifest the power of art, design, and urban/city planning to tie the heritage of the past to the potential of the future.
Delivering Epic Art and Designed Spaces
We utilize a design thinking and responsive approach to a community needs where the human experience is first and foremost, and a creative lens is used to find a solution.
Past Projects
Retrolit
RETROLIT Retrolit was born out of a community-driven desire for making the walk around downtown more interesting and enjoyable. Merging art, history and technology, Beyond Walls restored and installed 12 former vintage neon signs turned light-emitting pieces of artwork from the collection of Dave Waller of Brickyard VFX. These vibrant artifacts of classic commercial Americana […]
Lynn Lights on the MBTA Underpass
LYNN LIGHTS Beyond Walls, aligned partners and volunteers installed “Lynn Lights” in 2018 in response to community feedback for more lighting downtown. Together, we implemented 600 linear feet of dynamic LED Lighting under three dark underpasses of the underlit overhead rail line that transects downtown Lynn. Our team of in kind and pro-bono partners delivered a community […]
Wash and Fold
CALL TO ACTION In response to the ongoing pandemic and in keeping with our mission — activating public spaces to strengthen communities — Beyond Walls recognized the need for flexible outdoor spaces where people can safely gather, eat, drink, and enjoy all that their communities have to offer. With pro-bono design services provided by our […]
Testimonials
I’ve enjoyed working with Beyond Walls over the last year. So very often as a city employee we are tasked with solving unique problems and challenges and it is a struggle to find resources and partners that you have confidence in that they will truly help or ‘get it’ In my experience, I have found […]
I have worked with Beyond Walls since 2016, lending design expertise and visualization to support community-led initiatives. I am most impressed by the group’s ability to execute meaningful community-enhancement projects while negotiating challenging social, regulatory, and logistical constraints. Big ideas underpin the organization, but it’s the delivery of this vision which defines the group’s success. […]
United Rentals has been the proud partner with Beyond Walls and the communities they work in since 2017. What started as a one piece equipment rental to get their mural project off and running has now evolved into so much more. United Rentals was proud to be a small part of a solution in their […]
Beyond Walls has been an incredible community partner to work with over the past year. I began working with Beyond Walls last fall (2019) when I brought my Thurgood Marshall Middle School students on a mural tour. Several of my students stated that it was their favorite memory from last school year. Then, at the […]
There are not enough words to explain the gratitude the Lynn YMCA has for transforming our playground AND giving our youth and staff the opportunity to experience art as it took place. The Beyond Walls programming with artists was amazing day for everyone, and exactly what everyone needed with remote learning an COVID fatigue hitting […]
I highly respect and am greatly excited by what Beyond Walls has accomplished in Lynn in a very short time. Utilizing many fine artists, you have brought Lynn from its nineteenth-century look and into the twenty-first century by putting its human face on old, drab buildings. You enliven the “Arts District” with a carnival atmosphere, […]
From Our Blog
Finding Hope on Lynn Walls
PHOTO CREDIT: Artist Evoca1 descends from the roof of a building on Union Street in Lynn after working on his mural for “Truth be Told…” Photo by Spenser R. Hasak BY GUTHRIE SCRIMGEOUR| October 21, 2020 “Truth be Told…” a new public art installation from Beyond Walls, aims to capture the experiences of Lynn children […]
Beyond Walls: Payette Lights Up Lynn with Pro Bono Display
Photo Credit: Beyond Walls image by Warren Jagger Photography BY ERIC BALDWIN | January 01, 2020 Architecture and design studio Payette designed an underpass lighting project for Lynn, Massachusetts. Lynn is one of 26 Gateway Cities in Massachusetts, urban centers that anchor regional economies and are facing social and economic challenges. The project brightens and activates with dynamic, […]
Colombian artist DAST UNO completes mural at Lynn YMCA
Photo Credit: Colombian muralist DAST UNO stands in front of his mural at the Lynn YMCA. DAST UNO completed the mural with the help of local artists and the outdoor community arts organization Beyond Walls (Beyond Walls) BY ALLYSHA DUNNIGAN| October 3, 2021 LYNN ―The city and outdoor community art organization Beyond Walls invited Colombian […]
This Lynn nonprofit is known for its murals. Now, it’s making hand washing stations
PHOTO CREDIT: Lynn Vocational Technical Institute students Thomas Molea and Antonio Morales, both 16, constructed one of Beyond Walls’s aesthetically pleasing wash stations.BARRY CHIN/GLOBE STAFF By Andy RosenUpdated July 29, 2020, 3:36 p.m. LYNN — In a downtown punctuated by giant murals from artists around the world, it’s easy to overlook the sleek, stainless steel […]
New Art Installation Will Connect Lynn Youth With Mozambique
PHOTO CREDIT: Artist Kevin Ledo’s mural, “Facing the Future,” a 50-by-70 foot exterior wall installation, was made as as part of the Paint Outside the Lines APTart project in Beirut, Lebanon. By Allysha Dunnigan September 3, 2021 LYNN — Beyond Walls is partnering with international art exchange, The One Blue Sky Project, to create a new […]
‘It says we’re here’: Mural project celebrates Lowell’s Latinx community
By Cindy Cantrell Globe Correspondent,Updated February 4, 2022, 11:06 a.m. A crowd of people participating in a “Mural Stroll” saw the launch of a Davis Zayas’ mural on the side of 207 Market St. | HENRY MARTE OF MARTE MEDIA Every time Sophia Mirabal sees people stop and look at the two large-scale murals in […]
‘It says we’re here: Mural project celebrates Lowell’s Latinx community
PHOTO CREDIT: A crowd of people participating in a “Mural Stroll” saw the launch of a Davis Zayas’ mural on the side of 207 Market St.HENRY MARTE OF MARTE MEDIA By Cindy Cantrell Globe Correspondent,Updated February 4, 2022, 11:06 a.m. Every time Sophia Mirabal sees people stop and look at the two large-scale murals in downtown […]
Lynn Public Schools
LYNN PUBLIC SCHOOLS The Lynn Public Schools is currently the fifth largest in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and serves ~16,000 students across the district’s 26 schools. According to 2018-19 data from the Massachusetts Department of Education, the student population here is largely of color, bilingual, and economically disadvantaged, with the district’s English learners representing over […]
The Launch
THE LAUNCH In May 2017, Boston-based landscape architecture and planning firm Brown, Richardson and Rowe began a year long process to update Lynn’s waterfront open space plan. The team organized an inclusive process with area residents, local business owners, elected leaders. Compiled data suggests that local residents desire the following public amenities: Waterfront opportunities for […]
Sky5: Teens make ‘Black Lives Matter’ mural reality in Lynn
LYNN, Mass. — An 18-year-old’s dream come to life on the streets of Lynn inspired by similar “Black Lives Matter” murals he’s seen pop up across the country. The idea coming from 18-year-old Carlos Prudencio Who wondered why there wasn’t a Black Lives Mural in his city. He joined with 19-year-old Damianny Garrido to get […]
Thank You to our Supporters
Our work is made possible by people like you that believe that Arts and Culture in our communities leads to better outcomes for all. We thank you and all our supporters for making a lasting impact.
