LYNN — She’s back, and she has a vision for Lynn.
Michelle Richardson, or Michelle La Poetica as she is known across the North Shore, has just been re-appointed to the Lynn Public Arts Commission for a second term. The commission promotes the value of public art throughout the city, plays a major role in beautifying Lynn, and gets the community involved in arts and culture.
“She is an institution in the city,” said Ward 3 Lynn City Councilor Coco Alinsug. “I could go on and on and on about how amazing this woman is.”
Councilor Alinsug took to Facebook to publicly congratulate Richardson on her re-appointment to the commission. Not only is he proud of her work, but he says he’s proud that she is a Ward 3 resident actively choosing to serve her community. He hopes even more residents will follow suit and find city committees of their own to join and be a part of.
Now, for this 10-person commission, Richardson says she is ready to get to work alongside her fellow members. She said it is the job of each of the members to be advocates for people interested in creating big art projects within the city. Her first year was all about getting her foot in the door and getting comfortable. This year is about taking all their ideas and “lighting them up.”
“I would love to see this commission partner with local artists to really bring color and vibrancy to the community,” she said. “There’s a lot of blank canvases in our city. We have so much talent in and across Lynn, and we just want to find ways to highlight it all.”
This commission isn’t just about creating more murals and wall art; it’s about providing residents with resources to bring forth big ideas that try to shine a light on the city and all of its talent. Richardson says that in her first year on the commission, she and her fellow members had a number of conversations that left her feeling lit on fire with creative inspiration.
Her love of art and culture doesn’t just start and end on this commission, by the way. Richardson has been hosting music and art events throughout the North Shore for nearly two decades. Sharing and creating spaces for people to get inspired is what she is all about. She hopes the commission grows to be even more hands-on and more in-depth with everything that moves art for the city.
“I am excited to see more artists in the community get inspired and activated to bring more art to our city, just to show and prove how much magic we have within our walls,” she said. “I would love for us to be the vehicle to facilitate city canvases for local artists, from youth to senior, so they can leave their mark and legacy.”