Young Artists Take Center Stage: Arts Elevate Pilot Programs Celebrate Creative Breakthroughs at December Capstones

Four Greater Lowell organizations host culminating events featuring poetry, visual art, and film created by youth participants in innovative embedded artist program

Danny’s Place
Prescott Community Center
Umbrella Arts Center
Boys and Girls Club of Greater Lowell

LOWELL, MA (January 2026) — The Greater Lowell Community Foundation’s Arts Elevate initiative concluded its fall pilot season with a series of capstone events across four nonprofit organizations in December 2025, demonstrating how embedding community artists within youth-serving organizations can foster meaningful creative expression and support youth wellness. From spoken word poetry to short films inspired by cinema pioneers, young people across the Greater Lowell region shared work that reflected their identities, emotions, and growing confidence as artists.

  • Boys & Girls Club of Greater Lowell, Lowell – Embedded community artist Anthony Febo and collaborator Ricky, performed in the “Adobo-Fish Sauce Poetry” capstone highlighted a creative, culture-inspired poetry space where every day flavors met powerful words. The session infused flavor and personality with poetry through a mix of spoken word, storytelling, rhythm, and self-expression. Students shared vulnerable poems representing the spirit of the spoken word tradition.
  • Danny’s Place, Acton – Led by embedded community artist Shoni Hallock-Martin, an evening celebration showcased student work in handmade paper arts and sculptural creations. Students crafted their own paper and journal covers to create incredible journal creations, along with imaginative paper maché sculptures. Families gathered to celebrate the work and hear about the creative process behind each student’s projects.
  • Prescott Community Center, Groton – Led by embedded community artist Andrea Wilson, the “Me, Myself & Art” capstone was a vivid, visual celebration of self. Student artists reflected their identities and emotions through work that emphasized journaling and demonstrated progression from strict portraiture into more abstract art, reflecting continual student expression throughout the fall semester.
  • The Umbrella Arts Center, Concord – Led by embedded community artist Tom Flint, students premiered a series of short youth films inspired by some of the earliest filmmakers in cinema history, including the Lumière Brothers, Edwin S. Porter, and Buster Keaton. Students worked in tight-knit groups to co-create films that explored the intersectionality between animate and inanimate worlds.

The December capstones mark the successful completion of the fall pilot, with programming extended through spring 2026.

Save the Date: A comprehensive Arts Elevate Showcase for funders, stakeholders, and community partners will be held on May 5, 2026 at the Chelmsford Center for the Arts. The event will feature presentations from all four pilot organizations, an artist panel, and performances by youth participants. To register: https://glcfoundation.info/4bk0E6W

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