Gutman Gallery, Harvard Graduate School of Education
May 3 – 22, 2025
Step Into Art: Mother Caroline Students
Respond to the Textile Portraits of Artist Gio Swaby
Step Into Art, Inc., PO Box 590675, Newton, MA 02459 | info@stepintoart.org | www.stepintoart.org
Step Into Art and Mother Caroline Academy are proud to present this exhibition of art and writing created by sixth graders participating in our annual partnership program, now 17 years strong. Step Into Art with us!
Gutman Gallery, Harvard Graduate School of Education
May 3 – 22, 2025
Step Into Art: Mother Caroline Students
Respond to the Textile Portraits of Artist Gio Swaby
Step Into Art, Inc., PO Box 590675, Newton, MA 02459 | info@stepintoart.org | www.stepintoart.org
Step Into Art & Mother Caroline Academy
Step Into Art is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing art education programs that actively engage children with great works of art from museums in and around Boston. Step Into Art programs take place through partnerships with Boston schools. Celebrating its 20th year, Step Into Art has reached more than 6,000 students.
Mother Caroline Academy and Education Center is the only tuition-free, all-girls independent elementary and middle school in the City of Boston. Mother Caroline Academy has been transforming the lives of girls from traditionally under-resourced neighborhoods for over three decades.
Seventeen Years of Creative Partnership
Every year since 2008, Step Into Art and Mother Caroline Academy have been working together to offer a rich, year-long arts learning experience for sixth-grade students. Designed by Step Into Art, the program includes art-viewing, art-making, writing, and public speaking, and culminates in an exhibition each year. We are grateful to Gutman Library for hosting our 2025 show.
Enjoy the students’ creativity—
Step Into Art with us!
Step Into Art, Inc., PO Box 590675, Newton, MA 02459 | info@stepintoart.org | www.stepintoart.org
Self-Portraits Inspired by Gio Swaby
In this year’s Step Into Art program, Mother Caroline sixth graders had the special opportunity to engage with the work of contemporary Bahamian artist Gio Swaby. SIA and MCA forged a relationship with Gio Swaby the previous schoolyear, when students viewed her solo exhibition at the Peabody Essex Museum and met with the artist virtually in her studio. This year’s sixth graders began their Step Into Art journey by viewing portraits by a range of artists at the MFA, Boston and then engaged with Gio Swaby’s portraits through learning experiences at school. They, too, personally connected with the artist, who describes her textile portraits as ”love letters to Black women and Black girls.” When we thanked Gio for meeting with the students, she said it was “a dream come true” to inspire the next generation of young artists.
Over the course of the schoolyear, the sixth graders created intricate, meaningful self-portraits of their own modeled on Gio Swaby’s vibrant textile portraits. In the spirit of her work, the students’ self-portraits honor individuality and personal style, and express feelings of love, joy, and gratitude as part of the creative process.
The sixth graders composed reflective artist statements to accompany their portraits. Together, the students’ art and writing might be viewed as their own collection of “love letters.” And like the artwork by Gio Swaby that inspired the students so deeply, this group of portraits represents a sisterhood. We hope you feel the love and community spirit here as you take in this exhibition.
Step Into Art, Inc., PO Box 590675, Newton, MA 02459 | info@stepintoart.org | www.stepintoart.org
Inspiration and the Artistic Process
The Mother Caroline students’ self-portraits were modeled on Gio Swaby’s vibrant textile portraits that celebrate personal style. While paying tribute to Swaby’s incredible skill with fabric and thread, sewing and embroidery, the students used different materials and techniques to create their portraits.
Starting with a “dress-down day” at school, the students posed for photos wearing expressive outfits of their choice in place of their school uniforms. From the resulting photos, they created intricate line drawings. They used patterned scrapbook paper to collage clothing, acrylic paints for the background color, chalk pastels for skin and hair, and texture-rich embellishments for accessories. With gold lace to frame their self-portraits, the students added a final flourish in the spirit of celebration.
Where I Know You From 4, 2023
Where I Know You From 3, 2023
Going Out Clothes 3, 2020
Step Into Art, Inc., PO Box 590675, Newton, MA 02459 | info@stepintoart.org | www.stepintoart.org
Aliyah
Step Into Art, Inc., PO Box 590675, Newton, MA 02459 | info@stepintoart.org | www.stepintoart.org
ARTIST: Aliyah
TITLE: I See Me
As you see here, I'm wearing a pair of pants and a shirt with the same green flower pattern because I was wearing a matching pajama set. Please notice I put jewels on my portrait. I placed one of the blue shiny jewels on my ear because, at that time, my sister and I went to the mall to get my first ear piercings. They started to fall out later that week, so she gave me a pair of her earrings. It was nice because it reminded me of her. Another place I put a jewel was on my wrist because I was wearing a bracelet that my mother had bought me last year when my school had Spirit Week. On the last day, we saw a nice colorful bracelet with some chains that looked like red feathers and sparkled in the sunlight. I chose to put those jewels on so my portrait could show how I see myself shine and make the portrait bright.
I love this portrait because the color patterns remind me of my mom and me. Her favorite color is green, and the patterns remind me of nature because they have a flower-like shape. This brought me joy because the breeze coming into the art room felt calming and relaxing—plus, I hadn’t done something like this before in art. It was a fun experience to learn something new and be creative in a different way. I want you to notice the backstory of the way I placed my accessories. They have deep meaning to me because they reflect experiences and gifts from family members I love and care about. But it wasn’t always like this—I struggled at first. I didn’t really like doing the art; I thought it was hard, stressful, and annoying. But over time, it got better as I worked more. I improved, faced my challenges, and got help when I needed it. That eventually led to my art being finished and displayed here.
My portrait is a love letter to myself, my mom, and my sister. I dedicate this to myself for all the hard work I put into this project, to my mom who inspired the colors in my clothing, and to my sister who inspired the earring and represents our great sibling bond.
Step Into Art, Inc., PO Box 590675, Newton, MA 02459 | info@stepintoart.org | www.stepintoart.org
Bryana
Step Into Art, Inc., PO Box 590675, Newton, MA 02459 | info@stepintoart.org | www.stepintoart.org
ARTIST: Bryana
TITLE: Masterpiece
I’m wearing a green and white shirt with white and gold pants. My favorite color is green because it reminds me of rainforests, lakes, ponds, rivers, and the rain—and I think white and gold look excellent together because those colors together give off rich vibes. I included many flowers because I love nature, and flowers really represent nature a lot. My favorite accessory is the barrettes in my hair because they remind me of when I was younger. I imagine a rainforest where the breeze of air would flow like a waterfall, and the water would sound like music to my ears.
The greatest challenge was choosing the color for the skin and outfit. The greatest thing about making portraits is seeing myself in an art form. When you look at my portrait, I want you to hear rain falling down from the sky. When you look at my portrait, I want you to feel a drizzle of rain on your head. I want you to imagine a rainforest full of animals. I dedicate this portrait to my dad with gratitude for my father because he’s a great role model and a great person in general. My portrait is a love letter to my dad, my uncle, and my younger brother.
Step Into Art, Inc., PO Box 590675, Newton, MA 02459 | info@stepintoart.org | www.stepintoart.org
Facoly
Step Into Art, Inc., PO Box 590675, Newton, MA 02459 | info@stepintoart.org | www.stepintoart.org
ARTIST: Facoly
TITLE: My Amazing Cosplay
In my portrait, I'm wearing a blue haori (a haori is a traditional Japanese loose, knee-length outer garment, often resembling a coat) and baggy black pants. I chose this style because it was based on my favorite anime character from Demon Slayer. His name is Tanjiro Kamado. I chose to dress up as this character because he shows that even if things don’t turn out the way you want them to, there is always a brighter route. As he said, “No matter how many people you may lose, you have no choice but to go on living.” My favorite accessory is the haori because it shows cultural appreciation to my character.
The part that brought me the most joy was getting feedback from Gio Swaby on our Zoom call and going to the Museum of Fine Arts and seeing other people who did the same thing as me. The most important thing about my portrait is the time and dedication I put into making it and the help I received from my teachers and friends. Please notice my royal blue hijab decorated with silver gemstones. The thing that was challenging with this project was the coloring. My skin color was not easy to do because of the chalk we were using, and it kept smudging a lot. Plus, we had to blend it in, but I successfully got what I needed and completed my work.
I dedicate this to my mom, friends, and teachers. I dedicate it to my mom because she brought me the outfit, and without it I wouldn’t have made this project the way I wanted it to go. I dedicate it to my friends because they helped me with the struggles and comforted me when I was feeling down or helpless about what to do. Lastly, I dedicate it to my teacher who helped me most, Ms. Taylor, for getting me to the point I am today and for the materials I used to complete this.
Step Into Art, Inc., PO Box 590675, Newton, MA 02459 | info@stepintoart.org | www.stepintoart.org
Ineia
Step Into Art, Inc., PO Box 590675, Newton, MA 02459 | info@stepintoart.org | www.stepintoart.org
ARTIST: Ineia
TITLE: Orange Flowers
In my portrait, the pattern I chose represents flowers because flowers are very beautiful, colorful, and can represent feeling. I chose to use the two colors green and orange because green represents the stem and the orange represents the petal. The sleeve represents the leaves on the stem. Orange flowers can symbolize excitement, joy, and passion. My portrait shows the joy and excitement about me.
What I love about Gio Swaby’s portraits is that she leaves loose thread to represent imperfection so then people can see her portraits are not perfect. In her portrait, she uses her family and friends as inspiration. I was inspired by my grandma because she loves flowers. Flowers represent my grandma. I dedicate this portrait to my grandma—she loves flowers and plants.
Step Into Art, Inc., PO Box 590675, Newton, MA 02459 | info@stepintoart.org | www.stepintoart.org
Jasmine
Step Into Art, Inc., PO Box 590675, Newton, MA 02459 | info@stepintoart.org | www.stepintoart.org
ARTIST: Jasmine
TITLE: Nezuko
In my portrait, I’m wearing a kimono. A kimono is a long, loose robe with wide sleeves and tied with a sash, originally worn as a formal garment in Japan. I chose the colors pink, purple, and red with a flower and leaf pattern. I chose these colors and patterns because once I saw those colors it caught my eye and I thought the bright colors would look good with the light colors in the back and really compliment the portrait. My favorite accessory in my portrait is the gold necklace because I love gold, and my mom and I have matching gold necklaces, so whenever I see gold, it reminds me of those necklaces.
The most challenging part of doing my portrait was cutting out the pieces of the clothing and getting the pieces to be even. The most fun part of the process was gluing the frame on the canvas. What I love the most about Gio Swaby’s portraits is the creativity and how she creates beautiful art with loose threads. The main thing I want the viewer to notice and not miss is the accessory I added because the gold is beautiful. I am most proud of the finished product because I spent a long time on my portrait and it came out amazing.
I dedicate this portrait to my mom because I look like her.
Step Into Art, Inc., PO Box 590675, Newton, MA 02459 | info@stepintoart.org | www.stepintoart.org
Jayla
Step Into Art, Inc., PO Box 590675, Newton, MA 02459 | info@stepintoart.org | www.stepintoart.org
ARTIST: Jayla
TITLE: Pinky Pie
In my portrait, I chose these colors to represent my memories, intelligence, bravery, and my gratitude. These colors have designs like flowers, gems, and more. I have always loved pink. My mom was always there—whenever she saw a cute pink thing in the store, she would show me it, and we would always talk about it. Me and my mom have a great relationship—that’s why I put pink on my shirt. Blue always shows me so much; like, for some reason, it makes me feel out there. I chose white because it was like blending with my portrait and it was my favorite color. I hope some people will notice my portrait and see the hard work I put in.
Gio Swaby’s portraits showed me I could do it and could have fun with my designs. In fact, I did have fun painting the background of my portrait, but the hardest part was doing my skin color because you had to make sure you had a good shade in your skin and blend it too. But I worked hard and I went through it, and I’m proud of myself for pushing me to do it. Also, cutting the fabric was also hard because every time I was gluing the fabric, it would try to slip off—but luckily there was hot glue. I hope everyone can see my beautiful painting, and I hope Gio Swaby admires my painting one day.
I dedicate this to Gio Swaby and my mom, who supports my art.
Step Into Art, Inc., PO Box 590675, Newton, MA 02459 | info@stepintoart.org | www.stepintoart.org
Jemima
Step Into Art, Inc., PO Box 590675, Newton, MA 02459 | info@stepintoart.org | www.stepintoart.org
ARTIST: Jemima
TITLE: Glow with the Flow
Step Into Art inspired me to make this piece of art because I like the way they make art. I chose the colors red, black, white, dark brown, and brown because those colors are the ones that made my skin perfect, so that’s why I used these colors. In my portrait, I dressed up normally with a casual shirt and pants. My favorite accessory in my portrait is the bracelet I wore on my hand that day.
I enjoyed creating my project because it was a fun experience. The way Gio Swaby created her portraits inspired me to do something better on my Step Into Art. I am proud of my Step Into Art portrait.
I dedicate this portrait to my mom.
Step Into Art, Inc., PO Box 590675, Newton, MA 02459 | info@stepintoart.org | www.stepintoart.org
Kadina
Step Into Art, Inc., PO Box 590675, Newton, MA 02459 | info@stepintoart.org | www.stepintoart.org
ARTIST: Kadina
TITLE: Summer Butterflies
In my portrait, I designed my outfit based on summer because my pants have butterflies on them, and butterflies come out in summer—and I like them. I had a waist bead on, so I added charms and beads to represent summer. My shirt has flowers on it to bring out my eyes and lips because I was wearing lip gloss. When you look at my portrait, I want you to imagine me going to the park. My background represents my favorite butterfly earrings, which are purple. What I love most about my portrait are the waist beads and my pants.
I love how Gio Swaby puts so many details into her portraits and expresses herself with gems, rhinestones, beads, string, fabric, etc. During Gio Swaby’s Zoom call with the 6th grade, I really enjoyed seeing her studio and artwork. I loved how she connected with everyone so nicely and matched everyone's energy. She has a good personality. We have something in common—we are both from the Caribbean.
I dedicate my portrait to butterflies, because they make me feel happy inside.
Step Into Art, Inc., PO Box 590675, Newton, MA 02459 | info@stepintoart.org | www.stepintoart.org
Karina
Step Into Art, Inc., PO Box 590675, Newton, MA 02459 | info@stepintoart.org | www.stepintoart.org
ARTIST: Karina
TITLE: The Pink Stars
I am wearing a pink cardigan with a gold swirl pattern and navy blue pants, and the reason I chose this is because the gold pattern had a really crisp design toward it and that goes along with a beautiful vibrant pink color with a side of stylish, versatile navy blue pants, and I really like how it went together. The portrait of my outfit compliments my skin tone really well with my long black hair down. The words I have to express have a beautiful and graceful tone to it.
One part that was fun while doing it is when I got to imagine the design, and it looked exactly how I imagined it, which is why I thought this part was fun. The part that was challenging was probably getting my skin tone right. It was so hard to blend and find the right match, but in the end, I got it. I'm really proud when the design came out really good and exactly how I wanted it to be. What I want the viewer to notice is the little details, like the pattern on my cardigan or my eyes, and I don't want them to miss the details.
I really dedicate this portrait to myself for working, making great ideas, and grateful for my growth becoming more intense. I like how I improved with myself by watching videos, listening for tips and better improvement in my journey with art. It plays a really good role in art, and I take stuff for consternation and put it into my imagination really well, and I’m just very grateful for making myself do that to get better and advance in art.
Step Into Art, Inc., PO Box 590675, Newton, MA 02459 | info@stepintoart.org | www.stepintoart.org
Malaika
Step Into Art, Inc., PO Box 590675, Newton, MA 02459 | info@stepintoart.org | www.stepintoart.org
ARTIST: Malaika
TITLE: Summer Clothes
In my portrait, I am wearing black pants with pink flowers and my shirt is a pink shirt with gold flowers. I chose these clothes because I really admire the colors—also the flowers, because I really like flowers—and I also liked how it looked altogether. The clothes I'm wearing are a going-out outfit for the summer. I want the viewer to imagine a walk in the park on a sunny day. My favorite accessory is the flowers.
Someone that inspired me was Gio Swaby—I really like her portraits. What I like the most about Gio Swaby’s portraits are her loose threads and how she adds unique accessories. The most fun part of making this project, in my opinion, was adding the ribbons on the side. I'm most proud of how brave I was to use my natural hair in the portrait. What brought me joy while creating this was how everyone was kind of working together and giving each other feedback. I would like to dedicate my portrait to my mom, who’s like a best friend to me.
Step Into Art, Inc., PO Box 590675, Newton, MA 02459 | info@stepintoart.org | www.stepintoart.org
Nyeema
Step Into Art, Inc., PO Box 590675, Newton, MA 02459 | info@stepintoart.org | www.stepintoart.org
ARTIST: Nyeema
TITLE: Blue and White
Snow White was the reason I chose those colors—so I could feel like a princess and live a happily ever after like all the other princesses who get a happy ending. It carries special meaning because it reminds me of all my childhood memories, like all my old friends, my old school, and so many great memories from my past life.
This brought me joy in creating it because of my thoughts of being famous. The thing that was challenging was the fact that I had to find out that it was going to be in this gallery, but there is nothing I can do about that. Something that I loved about Gio Swaby’s portraits was that they had so much meaning to them. Something that made me proud was that I was able to make it so quickly. I made this portrait because of Snow White—because I wanted to feel like a princess with a happily ever after, just not with a prince, which is why it is a love letter to me.
Step Into Art, Inc., PO Box 590675, Newton, MA 02459 | info@stepintoart.org | www.stepintoart.org
Roslene
Step Into Art, Inc., PO Box 590675, Newton, MA 02459 | info@stepintoart.org | www.stepintoart.org
ARTIST: Roslene
TITLE: Grateful for Love
In my portrait, I designed an outfit that represents myself and what I like to wear. I also added a golden ribbon outline to represent one of my favorite colors of jewelry and to represent my personality. I added a bracelet and a necklace because I love jewelry and things that stand out on my skin. I chose a pink background to represent my favorite color, love, nurture, and the act of taking care of myself. My outfit is meant to represent what I usually wear and my style. When you look at my portrait, my goal is for everyone to feel comfort, love, and strength.
The most challenging part about doing this portrait to me was cutting out all the pieces of clothing. Gio Swaby’s portraits inspire me to want to make art and to remember that not everything has to be perfect in life and that imperfections can be beautiful. Making this portrait brought me joy because I got to see the finished product. I am very proud of my portrait because I put a lot of effort and dedication into it to make it special. A part I enjoyed doing was hot gluing the gold outline around my portrait.
I dedicate this portrait to my mother because she is the one who taught me to love people and to spread love throughout your family, and she always helps me to do things that are hard for me. I am extremely grateful for the love I get from my mother and my other family members, too.
Step Into Art, Inc., PO Box 590675, Newton, MA 02459 | info@stepintoart.org | www.stepintoart.org
Shardly
Step Into Art, Inc., PO Box 590675, Newton, MA 02459 | info@stepintoart.org | www.stepintoart.org
ARTIST: Shardly
TITLE: Feel Good Fit
The colors I decided to use in my portrait were pink and purple. I like those colors because I feel like they blend together well in my portrait. I chose flowers because I think they’re beautiful and come in all different sizes and colors. In these clothes, I feel like I could go outside and get some food with my family. I was going to pick the color blue because I love the ocean and how the water feels when you're swimming, but I went with purple instead because it reminds me of the perfume my mom used to wear when I was younger.
The person who inspired me to make my portrait was Gio Swaby. I saw some of her portraits and thought, “Wow, her work is amazing!” Later on in art class, we got to make our own portraits, and I was able to express fashion and art at the same time. There were a lot of challenges I faced while making my portrait. It was hard for me to find the right skin tone when I was mixing colors. I’d like to dedicate this portrait to myself, to all the teachers who helped, and to my artist statement—because we all worked hard on everything we made here today.
Step Into Art, Inc., PO Box 590675, Newton, MA 02459 | info@stepintoart.org | www.stepintoart.org
Sophia
Step Into Art, Inc., PO Box 590675, Newton, MA 02459 | info@stepintoart.org | www.stepintoart.org
ARTIST: Sophia
TITLE: Crank Dat
“Soulja Boy off in this… watch me crank it, watch me roll, watch me crank dat, Soulja Boy. Then Superman dat, oh! Now watch me youu…” I sing as I glue down the material of my shirt. In my portrait, I chose to wear a basic white shirt and baggy blue jeans. I chose this because I wanted to dress up as Soulja Boy, and this white shirt and blue jeans outfit is one of Soulja Boy's signature outfits. The accessories I'm wearing in my portrait are two necklaces—one with a gold heart and the other with a silver moon—a silver Pandora bracelet, a black silky durag, and a red and white hat.
A few things I found challenging while making my portrait were making sure my materials fit. Another challenge was finding the right pattern for my clothes because there are a lot of colorful and beautiful materials. My favorite part of my portrait is the small details I added, like the jewelry. I like the jewelry because I feel like it gives the portrait life and shows how hard I worked on it.
I dedicate my portrait to Soulja Boy for this amazing outfit inspiration.
Step Into Art, Inc., PO Box 590675, Newton, MA 02459 | info@stepintoart.org | www.stepintoart.org
Soraya
Step Into Art, Inc., PO Box 590675, Newton, MA 02459 | info@stepintoart.org | www.stepintoart.org
ARTIST: Soraya
TITLE: Shadow Hero
In my portrait, I bought an outfit to wear at school that represented the character Itachi Uchiha. I was trying to dress up and participate in the book and show dress-up. On my outfit, there are black cartoon-like clouds that caught the attention of people walking by. I wore a ring on one of my fingers, and I wore a headband that represents the Hidden Leaf Village, which the character used to be from—but the headband is not really noticeable in the portrait. The cartoon-like clouds were all over the cloak just like real clouds are all over the sky on a cloudy day. I had so much fun wearing the costume and feeling like the character.
One thing that was hard for me while I was making the portrait was the skin tone because it's hard to mix colors to get the exact match. I want people to notice the cartoon-like cloud because it represents the “rain of blood” that fell on the Amegakure (The Hidden Rain Village in the show Naruto) during the wars it had. I am proud of how my portrait turned out because it took me a long time to finish, which is why I’m proud of my successful work. What I love about Gio Swaby’s portraits is that they remind me of my family and the people who are close to me.
This portrait is dedicated to myself because it’s a way of expressing myself through art.
Step Into Art, Inc., PO Box 590675, Newton, MA 02459 | info@stepintoart.org | www.stepintoart.org
With Appreciation
The Step Into Art partnership program with Mother Caroline Academy represents a true collaboration, and many contributed to this shared endeavor. From Step Into Art: Abby Rischin, Founder and President; Lindsey Kocur, Visual Art Manager; Susan Foster Jones, Senior Educator; and Hannah Varden, Artist-Educator. From Mother Caroline Academy: Taylor Adams-Bass, Art Teacher; Michaela Brotman, English Language Arts Teacher; Kiera Powers, Assistant Director of Development; Marie Louise Greenidge, Director of Development; and Dr. Carla Haith, Head of School.
Gio Swaby provided inspiration to the students not only through her art but also by meeting with them virtually and sharing her joyful vision. She has our immense gratitude. We also greatly appreciate the warm welcome we received from the MFA, Boston.
Step Into Art and Mother Caroline Academy are grateful to be holding this exhibition in Gutman Gallery at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Special thanks to Myanne Krivoshey, Communications and Administration Coordinator, Gutman Library, HGSE. Generous supporters made this program and exhibition possible. Our deep gratitude to them. Finally, we thank you for giving the students a true audience for their creative work.
Step Into Art, Inc., PO Box 590675, Newton, MA 02459 | info@stepintoart.org | www.stepintoart.org
Postcards: With Love & Gratitude
At the exhibition celebration, visitors had the chance to reflect and create. They were invited to write postcards expressing their love and gratitude to someone special in their life or to share a message of appreciation with the sixth-grade artists. Among the many postcards to the students was this one from a Mother Caroline parent: “To my beautiful daughter, You inspire me each day. You are a blessing. Keep showing art and love to others.” Another visitor shared these words, accompanied by a drawing of a dove: “May this experience give you wings.”
Step Into Art with us!
Step Into Art, Inc., PO Box 590675, Newton, MA 02459 | info@stepintoart.org | www.stepintoart.org