This is a story of resilience, as many are these days. This one began in 2018, with Brain Arts Organization’s incorporation of the Dorchester Art Project (DAP), a restorative justice and arts equity focused community arts center in Field’s Corner.

On March 8, I spoke with Emma Leavitt, creative director at Brain Arts Org and gallery director at the Dorchester Art Project. Easygoing and passionate about what she does, Leavitt energetically described the work of this growing organization, whose mission is “To realize creative independence in systematically undervalued communities.” A visual artist herself, she knows the struggle of being recognized for her work. Leavitt, and the team at DAP, is committed to highlighting the creativity and voices of people of color, queer folx, young people and first and foremost, artists in the Dorchester community. “We’ve been a lot of people’s first gallery show,” Leavitt said. This is especially true for DAP’s community of young creatives, including a 13-year- old curator, a teenage band from the Merrimack Valley, and a 17-year-old artist getting her work framed for the first time.