hello winthrop!
Please support our collaborative effort to initiate a unique youth-driven public art project on Putnam Street this summer.
Beyond Walls, a creative placemaking nonprofit based in Lynn, is wildly excited to explore an aptART collaboration in Winthrop, featuring a large-scale mural from world-renowned Montreal artist, Kevin Ledo! We hosted this inspired team in Lynn (2021) and Fall River (2022), and their ability to engage with local youth throughout every step of the mural process is astounding. Students are involved in the planning and designing of the mural, and even paint their own messages on the wall! The resulting mural will be a showcase piece of fine art from Kevin Ledo to the community, reflecting the enchanting seaside culture of Winthrop.
We need your support to make this project come to fruition. Learn more about this project below, and please consider donating today.
Enjoy this video of the One Blue Sky Project, a creative cultural exchange between Lynn, Massachusetts and Mutua, Mozambique in 2021 led by aptART in partnership with Beyond Walls, featuring epic artwork by Kevin Ledo and Emmanuel Jarus. Video produced for aptART by Emad Rashidi.
—about the project—
When + Where?
Our goal is to produce this creative project in August 2023, while annual mural installations are also taking place nearby in Downtown Lynn. In conversations with the local business community, we’ve identified a stunning wall at 64 Putnam Street, located at the corner of the town center. This commercial space is home to a variety of local businesses, including thrift store Reds Renewed, dog-centric shop and groomer, Sandy Paws, and Winthrop Gymnastics. Our goal is to activate this central corridor with even more vibrancy and reflection of your community.
Featured Partners:
aptART
aptart.org
instagram.com/aptarts
aptART works with youth and their communities across the globe to create collaborative public art. Since 2010 we have been sharing creative outlets and amplifying the voices of marginalized groups. With the aim of transforming spaces, connecting communities and sparking conversations, we have spent the last decade painting walls, implementing workshops and installing exhibitions in Iraq, Jordan, Syria, Turkey, Palestine, Tunisia, Myanmar, Mozambique, Kenya, The Democratic Republic of Congo, Belgium, France, Greece, Tunisia, Germany, The United Kingdom and The United States.
Photos by Samantha Robison of aptART and Tost Films.
Kevin Ledo
kevinledo.com
instagram.com/kevinledo
Kevin Ledo is a Montreal-based artist who grew up in a mix of urban and ethnic cultures. He was raised by Portuguese parents from the Azores Islands and began his artistic practice in 2005. Since then, his work has given him the opportunity to live and work in places such as Taiwan, Vancouver, Costa Rica, Guatemala, and China. He graduated from Dawson College with a degree in Illustration and Design in 1999.
Ledo is known for his participation in mural festivals and public art initiatives in Canada and around the world, such as AptART in Zarqa and Beirut, One Blue Sky Project in cities across the USA, MURAL in Montreal, PangeaSeed Sea Walls in Toronto, FIAP in Cancún, BUMP in Calgary, The Raw Project in Miami and Denver, and Street Prints in Christchurch and Mount Maunganui.
He has also been featured in several art media outlets, including GQ Magazine, Juxtapoz Magazine, Street Art News, My Modern Met, Artist a Day, Montana Cans blog, and Cool Hunting. His work has been written about and featured on television and in news outlets such as The New York Times, LA Times, The New Yorker, The Guardian, National Geographic, Yahoo! News, Washington Times, The National Post, Toronto Star, La Presse, CBC The National, CBC Arts, CBC Radio1, Global News, CTV News, The Globe and Mail, The Montreal Gazette, Cult MTL, and more.
Photos by Kevin Ledo for KOLAB, Beyond Walls Fall River, and Up Here Festival.
—Support our Mission—
Our vision to install a powerful large-scale mural in Winthrop needs your support! Every part of these funds will go towards the artist fees, paint/materials, aerial lifts, insurance and more to make this dream possible. Whether it is $25 or $25,000, your donation will be instrumental. For questions, please email admin@beyondwalls.org
Your sponsorship will be recognized throughout the project, with benefits for various levels of giving from $2,500 to $20,000. This may include social media mentions throughout production, brand placement on our artist lift banners and project promotion, plus lots of Beyond Walls swag! For more information, please email us.
All funds donated here are tax deductible and will be restricted for the installations of murals in Winthrop, MA. Beyond Walls is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) public charity. Our tax ID number is 83-0573018.
