SALEM — The Salem Pantry recently unveiled a three-panel mural created by the RAW Artists in Action group at its location at 47 Leavitt St., which is called the Market.
The Salem Pantry serves more that 3,600 families in the area, with an increasing number of those families coming from Lynn, according to Kia Fernandes, the pantry’s marketing and communication manager.
Fernandes said the pantry wanted the mural to represent the diverse community it serves.
She said the Market opened in April 2023 and is supposed to provide the feel of a grocery store. People, regardless of their income level, can come into the Market and get a cart to “shop” for free.
“We’re really focused on making sure it’s convenient and comfortable, somewhere you want to go, not like your typical experience with a food pantry,” Fernandes said.
She added the pantry was “lucky enough to meet some people from RAW,” and that those involved in the project volunteered with the pantry for a day to become familiar with the space’s vibe.
“We feel it really got reflected in their art,” Fernandes said.
The students who worked on the mural are Isabella Tejeda, Joanna Rodriguez, Aisha Nuñez, Franchezca Carela, Evangeline Tejada, Elisha Torres, Ryker Krawitz, and Mercedes Minaya Ubiera
The group also had an apprentice from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Ammy Gonzalez.
Helen Danz, the senior expressive art therapist at RAW who helped coordinate the artists involved on the project, said she was proud of the students for creating pieces with a three-week turnaround.
She said to complete the mural, the group met on Mondays through Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Danz said the students did a great job of reflecting the themes of abundance, diversity and hospitality, particularly by including the pantry’s motto, “Nourishing our Community,” in Spanish as well as English.
She said after receiving the pantry’s requests, they decided to home in on a “farm-to-market” theme.
“You can see their mobile market truck driving on a road throughout the mural,” Danz said. “The leftmost panel is at a farm during sunrise and works its way to the rightmost panel, which depicts people giving and receiving food in the evening time.”
“It was really sweet to see how proud they were of their work and how each and every one of them could walk guests through the Market to explain the meaning behind our mural,” she added.
