One of the awesome things about getting chosen as an artist for this commission was getting to amplify positive things about Mattapan by spending time with and talking to the people who live there. For the research part of my practice, I got a tour of Mattapan from the youth at The Violence Intervention Program (VIP) housed at Mattapan Community Health Center. Plus, every Mattapan resident who volunteered to be a model for the artwork allowed me to interview them. The images below are photographs I took as reference for the artwork.... and I'd also like to think of them as byproducts of good conversation.
*All photographs are taken by Chanel Thervil, unless otherwise noted.
Meet Lila: One of the seven Mattapan residents featured in the artwork.
CT: What would like to see more of in Mattapan?
Lila: Remodeling of some of the old broken down buildings.
CT: What do you love about Mattapan?
Lila: I like the park that's near my house because of all of the trees. Sometimes we have community gatherings there and people bring their pets.
There's plenty more art and images to come!