Beyond Walls interns Janiah Jimenez and Ty Anderson, framed through a piece of PATIO, set up the other pieces in preparation for Thursday night’s “ROLOtón” en el PATIO. (Spenser R. Hasak)
LYNN — It’s time for a shift change at Beyond Walls headquarters on Mount Vernon Street, and five student interns relax while manager Charlotte Maher arranges work orders on the desk.
“How has the day gone so far?” asks Maher.
“It’s been really fun. I’m covered in paint,” says intern JahNyah Spencer, a student at Lynn Vocational Technical Institute. Everyone laughs, especially fellow interns Edivan Solano, Chris Rincon, Janiah Jimenez and Tyshaun Anderson. There are 10 interns in all, all from Lynn, and they are getting paid for their efforts during the two-week Street Art Festival.
It’s safe to say the roster of international artists is well taken care of by interns and Beyond Walls staff.
John Kibbey, an adult volunteer who assists the interns, is also seated at the table. Kibbey, who works for Cardinal Health and owns a building (the former Side Street Pub on Spring Street), is using 12 vacation days to “do whatever has to be done” to help out the Beyond Walls staff. That includes transporting artists to Logan airport with time to spare before their flights. “He’s a rock star,” said Pedro Soto, Beyond Walls associate director and a Lynn resident. “These young adults are all rock stars, too.”