See Her
PROJECT OVERVIEW
See Her, a temporary mixed-media mural conceived by artist activist Ann Lewis and produced by Now + There, rises proudly on the side of 808 Tremont Street, a historic row home in the Boston neighborhood of Lower Roxbury.
The four-story mural features neon pink paint and a wheat-pasted image of a black woman. This woman is Laura. She is a convicted felon who, at the time of installation, was housed at a correctional facility less than a half-mile away. Under her, in a maze pattern, is the word “choice.”
See Her bears witness to the hopes, doubts, and humanity of incarcerated women. It reflects on the choices we all have to support their future success.
To develop See Her, Now + There connected Lewis, a passionate activist for criminal justice reform, with McGrath House, a re-entry facility run by the non-profit organization Community Resources for Justice (CRJ) where incarcerated women serve the final six months of a prison sentences. In a series of collage workshops, Lewis worked with (and fairly compensated) eleven McGrath house residents, including Laura, to develop imagery of a future of their choice.
A host of partners made See Her possible. These include CRJ; The Community Builders, site owner and affordable housing developer; Boston Landmarks Commission, who sanctioned Boston’s first removable mural on a historic property; and the historic People’s Baptist Church of Boston, which faces the mural and had been looking for a solution to remove graffiti formerly covering the wall.
The mural was completed in July 2017 with a community celebration attended by over 250 people. It will remain on view through October 2018. Daily, See Her, is seen by over 17,000 cars. All who pass by are asked to reflect on the inherent worth, strength, and potential of incarcerated women and all women.