IN THE NEWS
What's going on at RAS? Scroll to see a history of our art shows, community outreach projects, feild trips, and other cool stuff!
Fernando Fula's work focuses on painting portraiture. During this class we had the amazing opportunity to see his studio space here at Western Avenue Studios! We are grateful for this community for showing our students their work spaces.
Guest artist Fernando Fula joins us during Drawing & Painting class for a portraiture lesson!
Nov, 2024
We are beyond thankful for our great skilled neighbor Wendy James! Her years of expertise has helped Refuge in many ways when it comes to ceramics. During this class, Wendy came as our guest artist to show us how it's done!
The wonderful Wendy James visits our Ceramics class for a wheel-throwing lesson!
Oct, 2024
This event was also a joyful part of our 10th Anniversary celebration, as well as a milestone marking our recent relocation upgraded studio space.
We are in forever gratitude for The Theodore Parker Foundation!
Theodore Parker Foundation Hosts Gallery reception for student's work of Spring Semester '23
Sep, 2024
Gormley's Cafe hosts Gallery for our student & Middle School Instructor Alice Spiller.
Alice has been with us since 2020, she is an amazing artist expanding her skills and focusing on painting.
Refuge student & intern Alice Spiller hosts first ever solo gallery showing at Gormley's Cafe!
Aug, 2024
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Many of the students that were a part of this mural were also Stoklosa students.
Director & founder of Refuge Art School was also a part of this mural and the arts teacher at the Stoklosa for these students.
"Urban Healing" Our 3rd and final mural of the 2024 season! A real full circle moment.
Aug, 2024
This special highlight celebrates Refuge Alumni Danielle Wilson and Shannon Infantes, who managed the completion of the “Bridging the Tracks” mural during their senior year of high school.
Enjoy this video of the installation & don't forget to check it out!
"Bridging The Tracks" mural found its forever home at Western Avenue train tracks crossing.
Aug, 2024
Enjoy our recap reel of our visit to Jean Winslow's art studio for her popular and one-of-a-kind soul mapping workshop! This was a very healing and artistic learning experience for all of us. We are very grateful for Jean and this opportunity.
Jean Winslow hosts soul mapping workshop for Refuge Art School.
April, 2024
Refuge Art School participates in Lowell's Winterfest 2024 and 3rd Youth Mural Compeptition and wins 3rd place!
Click in the link to see the awesome results, this year's theme was "My Lowell"
Refuge Art School Students Participates in the 3rd Annual Winterfest Youth Mural Competition and Wins 3rd Place!
Feb, 2024
We are super grateful with the community of Western Avenue Studios for making this open house and library memorial opening happen!
Special thanks to the Silk family for showing up, Jim Silk will always be remembered and loved by our community!
Refuge Art School Hosts an Open House and opens Jim Silk Memorial Library
Jan, 2024
Thanks to the Silk family! They have helped us close our fundraiser by matching us with the Theodore Edison Park Foundation.
We are forever grateful for the consistent support from our comminty!
WA Community Member Susan Silk Helped Refuge Meet our Match with The Theodore Edison Parker Foundation
Aug, 2023
Our awesom Refuge team, including students Navaeh and Nophea, as well as Alumni Daryan and Maritza, worked to paint the first LGTBQ inspired multicultural lending library in Lowell! Thank you to Sate Rep. Vanna Howard and Howard Amidon for their support and trust in our team to help make this vision come to life.
Painting 1st LGBTQ+ Inspired Lending Library
June, 2022
Check out another fun field trip from out Watercolor class, headed by instructor Ashley Eisenman!
This time students the Isabella Gardner Museum in Cambridge MA, a great oppurtunity to see some beautiful art in a beautiful museum on such a beautiful day
Field Trip to Isabella Gardner Museum
May, 2022
The mural competition at Winterfest was a very exciting and inspiring event! The refuge mural crew killed it with their painting skills, strong composition, and their positive collaborative work with one another.
We are proud of their collective voice and ability to acknowle the current state of the world.are rockstars!
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Mural Competition at Winterfest
Feb, 2022
Watch our administrative assistant and studio manager Chummeng Soun make his work and voice heard in the community!
He talks about the importance of recording our experiences and cultural traditions of our ancestors, BIPOC representation, and more.
Refuge Admin Chummeng Soun on Vital Voices
Dec, 2021
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We celebrated the profound representations of Latinx culture by the talented David Zayas and Evaristo Angurria as well as the collaborations made with Beyond Walls of Lynn, Project Learn, and ArtUp Lowell.
Go check out these beautiful murals on Market Street in downtown Lowell.
The Mural Project Celebration
Sept, 2021
An art show was held, showcasing student work and featuring films created by those in our Intro To Short-Form Filmmaking class, taught by Henry Marte. This program was supported in-part by the Lowell Cultural Council.
Check out ALL the films on our YouTube channel HERE!
Aug, 2021
Refuge's 1st Film Premiere!
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The Women Working Wonders (WWW) Fund support local programs that empower women and girls to effect positive change in the community.
Refuge is one of their 2021 grant reciepients, rewarded $10,000 for Girls and Young Women Creating Community Through Public Art
Watch our "thank you" video HERE !!
Awarded 10k From WWW Fund
Aug, 2021
MassArt Boston alumni Momo Schafer from Netflix's Blown Away series stopped by Refuge to offer her energy and wisdom. Her talks gave our students a greater understanding of what it means to be an artist during a pandemic, how to approach our practice in the world and how to create with authenticity and confidence.
Momo Schafer Visits Refuge
Feb, 2021
With support from Lowell Cultural Council, Refuge students worked to construct a mural titled Elevating Cultural Identity, which can currently be found in its permanent location at Mill No. 5 in Lowell. It began as a 2 week summer mural program for middle school artists back in 2019. The theme was: How do you envision your cultural identity as a Lowell artist?
Mural Instillation at Mill No. 5
Nov, 2020
The talented Tory Wesnofske captured a bit of our "Build Something" course that we ran this summer and it ended up being featured in an edition of the Cultural Connection on LTC!
Many thanks to the Mass Cultural Council for making this a reality!
"Build Something!" Airs on Local T.V.
March, 2018
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The Mural crew has done it again! The Historic Mural at Western Avenue is up! Footage of the mural and it's development can be found below:
Historical Mural at Western Ave.
Dec, 2016
