The New 97.7 Woman Of The Week - Week Of May 13, 2019
Name: Mary Flannery
From: Nahant, MA
About Woman Of The Week: Mary has been married to her husband Chris for 30 years and has two children. After earning her master’s degree in art therapy from Lesley College, Mary began working with young men that were incarcerated. Seeing the artwork those young men created and hearing the stories behind their crimes, she was inspired to take her work to the next level. When she learned many of the inmates intentionally returned to prison in order to belong to a group, she thought, “There must be a better way.” So, in 1994 she founded RAW Art Works with the help of fellow art therapist Kit Jenkins.
What started as a single-room studio, working with 16 teens, is now a nationally recognized organization, and cultural anchor. RAW Art Works continues to provide 550+ youth annually with opportunities to participate in visual and expressive arts groups, film school, leadership development, employment opportunities, and college access/career exploration programming. By staffing programs with art therapists and teaching artists, they effectively use the arts as a powerful medium to deeply engage underserved youth of all ages. Young people ages 7 to 18 learn to identify and depict the “frames” that showcase their stories.
From 3 o’clock in the afternoon until 8:30 at night, young artists can be found applying paint to canvas, pointing cameras at all manner of subjects, sculpting materials of every fathomable origin, and writing about their inner worlds. They are working hard to earn an A.F.A, or “Adventures in Fine Art,” certificate. With eyebrows knit in concentration, they listen as instructors share ideas for how to make sense of their turbulent lives. As they create and share, they learn life skills, like making eye contact, articulating feelings, contributing to a group, committing to activities, and taking responsibility. The outcome is profound: Not only are they evolving into mature adults but, for the first time, many are also experiencing what “family” is all about.
Much of RAW Art Works’ aim is to get young people into college and to see them graduate. And they do just that!