Artists For Humanity

Come, all my friends, these lines behold, Think not I’ve done my best; But now what I have left behind, I’m leaving for the rest.”— Stanza II-18 of The Factory Song, Written by G. H. A. and C. U. 1838

After learning about the factory conditions and reading about ‘The Factory Song’, Kayleigh decided to paint the Lowell Factory Girls, transporting them from a factory in the 1800s to a lush, green vacation environment.

“I basically put them in an environment that they weren’t normally in, since they worked long hours,” Kayleigh explains, “I put them in these tropical leaves— It’s like, I’m giving them a vacation.”

Although underrecognized, the Lowell Mill Women created the first union of working women in the United States, and recognizing their hard work is a fantastic reminder of the foundation on which this country was built! They organized and striked for better wages and conditions, and today Kayleigh honors their efforts, hoping to provide them a little peace and relaxation.

‘Portrait Project: Honoring 250 Years of Changemakers’ is opening tomorrow! Come by Artists for Humanity to view Kayleigh’s painting of the Lowell Factory Girls and more! Our AFH teen artists have been hard at work bringing history to life for this upcoming exhibition.

Each teen artist selected a historical figure who inspires them and transformed that inspiration into original artwork featured in the show. We hope to see you there!

Artist Talk: Wednesday, June 10, 5pm–6pm
Opening Reception: Wednesday, June 10, 6pm–8pm
Exhibition Duration: June 10 – August 17, 2026

“This current season of my life I’m inspired by sharing,” Jonathan ‘Pineapple’ Tejeda, “AFH Graphic Design Mentor says, “Our current times are so hard and overstimulating, if I can share my peace, calm, happiness, experience, learning, etc. Why wouldn’t I?”

And we’re lucky that Pineapple shares his work with us! Pineapple is not only a designer but also a music producer and much of his work has been heard across AFH in the videos we produce or sometimes during All Staff meetings.

“By far my favorite thing about being a mentor is being a role model. Showing shy, quiet, even trouble-maker teens that the world is so much bigger than they can comprehend at their age,” Pineapple explains, “That you can be complex, creative and lovable. Show them that you can be a 6’5 man from a bad neighborhood that loves poems, sneakers, music and flowers. But most importantly show them that we all deserve to be in the room and that not one of our experiences is more important than someone else’s.”

Nikkia, an AFH Graphic Design Teen who is graduating this year with goals of becoming a private chef, has experienced this firsthand in her studio, noting that Pineapple is always there for her if she needs some advice or support.

“Every time I come to work upset or just not myself, Pineapple always makes sure I can at least crack a smile or even laugh until my lungs are out of air!” Nikkia says.

While we’re surrounded by an endless amount of information and distraction, AFH is lucky to have Pineapple to cut through the noise and provide his coworkers and his teens a sense of peace and belonging. Thank you, Pineapple! We’re very grateful to have you on our team!

“Before I joined AFH, I was very much prioritizing digital work,” Brianna, an AFH NYC Teen explained, “When I started working here, there was only the Painting Studio. Working here has helped me expand the mediums and scope I work with.”

Brianna is from Brooklyn, NY and started working at Artists for Humanity almost 2 years ago, at first working digitally, and later expanding their work to incorporate a wide variety of mediums including digital illustration, poster making, character design, and more! In their free time, they enjoy playing horror video games like Resident Evil and making their own original characters for comics. Although they love a wide variety of artistic mediums, their current goals revolve around animation, and they’ve already successfully taken a big leap in the right direction— they will be attending SCAD for animation next year! But their dream project is to make an animated film.

“I want to make an animated film,” Brianna emphasizes, “Or be part of a big art studio that animates stuff. That’s my major life goal.”

But before they leave AFH and move on to their next adventure, they’re working on a digital collage mural for a private investment firm in Boston offices that represents their values of trustworthiness, experience, and success.

“They want us to make the collage representative of their values of trustworthiness, experience, and success.” Brianna elaborates, “They want us to represent the people who work in the office, and also the establishment as a long-term financial institution, and their journey over the long lifespan of their company.”

We can’t wait to see the finished collage mural, provide Brianna a proper send-off (BTW, you can celebrate with Brianna and AFH NYC via their Open Studio on 5/30), and to see all the amazing animations, posters, and character designs they create in the future! Congratulations Brianna! We’re so excited to cheer you on in your next adventure :’)