Beyond Walls schedules June 6 fundraiser to support Lynn arts-education program

Beyond Walls, a Lynn-based nonprofit that creates large-scale public art and community education programs, will hold a fundraising event, Beyond Walls Live, from 6 to 9 p.m. on June 6 at the Lynn Museum to benefit its Classroom to the Streets initiative.

Organizers described Classroom to the Streets as a summer intensive that pairs professional artists with educators and students to produce murals and school lesson plans. Beyond Walls said the program has grown since its 2017 start to serve multiple communities and that, through the program’s lesson-plan work, up to about 5,000 students have been reached districtwide in recent years. Last year’s murals also generated citywide materials that organizers say reached roughly 4,700 students with lesson-plan instruction.

Beyond Walls representatives said the 2026 installation will run Aug. 3–14, with a citywide reveal on Aug. 15. Participation in the installation cohorts is open primarily to rising high-school seniors selected through art educators; students help shape prompts for the artwork and, this year, will also assist in developing and teaching STEAM-integrated lesson plans for peers and younger students.

The organization highlighted alumni outcomes, noting students from recent cohorts have been accepted to art programs such as Rhode Island School of Design, SCAD and Massachusetts College of Art; organizers also said one junior fellow received a full scholarship to Endicott for design. Beyond Walls emphasized that the program’s value extends beyond finished murals: the initiative produces curricular materials used across grade levels and fosters connections between students from different schools and backgrounds.

Beyond Walls Live will include an artist panel and live painting by panelists; the canvases produced that night will be auctioned, with proceeds supporting Classroom to the Streets. Organizers said longtime collaborator Sey Adams will participate on the panel and that a master of ceremonies will guide the evening. Event programming will also feature music and local catering. Organizers said they were close to finalizing a keynote speaker at the time of the interview; last year’s keynote was Dr. Pat Tutwiler.

Tickets and donations are available through GiveButter at the Beyond Walls Live 2026 page, and additional information is posted at beyondwalls.org and on Beyond Walls Lynn social channels. The organization asked attendees to watch its social accounts for further artist announcements and event updates.

The June 6 event also serves as the nonprofit’s season kickoff and a community celebration designed to raise funds and public awareness for the program’s arts-education work in Lynn.