Noticing more art around Fall River? How these teens are transforming overlooked spaces

Ashley Schuler, The Herald News
·4 min read

FALL RIVER — It's gotten quite a bit more colorful in Fall River, with vibrant murals adding life to various buildings, tunnels and more.

Young artists with YEAH Corps are getting in on the action, utilizing often-overlooked spaces as blank canvases to make their mark on the city.

On Wednessday, 15 teens gathered outside Fall River Superior Court to showcase their creativity with their latest project — jazzing up an electrical box on South Main and Borden with their unique designs.

The theme of their outdoor artwork at Superior Court was "justice," and it was the group's final of four similar projects completed over the course of the summer.

"The creativity of youth knows no limits," said Susan Wolfson, founder of YEAH Corps and chair of the board. "It's the freedom to just explore and branch out and know no boundaries."

Where to see their artwork

And that's certainly evident in their work — from their electrical box-turned-robot powered by hamsters at the intersection of Central and Davol streets to their out-of-this-world painting on a box near Cathy Assad Tot Lot in the Flint neighborhood.

"It's youthful and it has an alien design ... the kids really enjoy that," Wolfson said.

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YEAH Corps youth mentors Janessa DeOliveira and Sara Martins along with student Xavian Chhen work on the electric box at the Fall River Justice Center.
YEAH Corps youth mentors Janessa DeOliveira and Sara Martins along with student Xavian Chhen work on the electric box at the Fall River Justice Center.

Have you come across a large, cheerfully painted metal box near Government Center, at Sullivan Drive and Third Street? That was them, as well.

There, artists involved in YEAH Corps' seven-week summer program — most ages 14-18 — "did a creative sketch expressing something about themselves or something about the city."

What's great about these projects is that they are a win-win for all involved, Wolfson said. For the city it helps beautify its public spaces and bolster the local arts scene.

"Everybody's happy because the results are very uplifting," said Wolfson, noting the group worked in tandem with the Fall River parks department and police department to secure the city spaces that became their canvases. "People are walking by and stopping and saying 'this is wonderful.'"

It also gives these talented teens a chance to shine and builds community pride.

"When they are connected and doing something for the community they really feel strongly engaged," she said. "I think this is a way to keep them connected as they mature to adulthood. They'll know that they contributed and will keep wanting to be involved as good citizens."

YEAH Corps participants painted the electric box in front of the Fall River Justice Center as part of their summer program.
YEAH Corps participants painted the electric box in front of the Fall River Justice Center as part of their summer program.

A jobs component

Equally important is the jobs component, which is at the core of YEAH Corps' mission to empower teens and young adults to be "changemakers of their community" by giving them the know-how needed to be professional artists and connecting them with paying art projects.

Founded in 2017, the nonprofit works with teens and young adults from the Fall River area, with a focus on reaching low-income and at-risk youth.

Participants are recruited through MassHire, and the group contracts with the city and local businesses on art and design projects. Mentors teach the teens how to see their projects through from start to finish.

"It's a jobs program, so they are getting paid for their work and learning job skills," she said, such as being on time, presentation skills and working with clients.

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YEAH Corps participants prepare to paint the electric box at the Fall River Justice Center.
YEAH Corps participants prepare to paint the electric box at the Fall River Justice Center.

Wolfson said these young artists had to contend with a lot this summer — such as working in less-than-ideal, hot conditions, sometimes well into the night — but they were up to the challenge.

"This group is exceptionally creative and passionate," said Wolfson.

YEAH Corps artist Alexis said: “I really enjoy coming to work every day and being creative. I loved planning the ideas for the electrical boxes and want to stay involved."

According to fellow participant Searra, “The highlight for me was designing a whole bunch of different things. I can’t wait to see what we are doing next!”

Previous YEAH Corps projects have included designing sandwich boards for restaurants and businesses during COVID, displays with art for sale at local farmers markets and a pop-up shop during Christmas.

YEAH Corps youth mentor Sara Martins and artistic director Fernando Pezzino work on the electric box at the Fall River Justice Center.
YEAH Corps youth mentor Sara Martins and artistic director Fernando Pezzino work on the electric box at the Fall River Justice Center.

Plans for more murals

They also painted the highly-visible blue and white Viva Fall River mural at Columbia Street and South Main.

“It’s just fun creating all day, it doesn’t feel like a job!” said Savannah, a member of the 2022 summer program.

Planning is currently underway for another mural in Fall River, Wolfson said, which will hopefully be unveiled next year.

"We'd like to do more. I think the parks really need a pick-up. We have such great parks in Fall River," she said.

The box-painting project was funded by the Youthworks program through the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development. The program is administered by the Commonwealth Corporation.

This article originally appeared on The Herald News: YEAH Corps teens transform overlooked public spaces across Fall River