Step Into Art 2025
Spring 2025: Mother Caroline Students Respond to the Textile Portraits of Artist Gio Swaby
May 3 – 22, 2025
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.
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.
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.”
Step Into Art: Artists and their Work
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.
Bryana
Masterpiece
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.
Facoly
My Amazing Cosplay
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.
Ineia
Orange Flowers
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.
Jasmine
Nezuko
I dedicate this portrait to my mom because I look like her.
Jayla
Pinky Pie
Gio Swaby’s portraits showed me I could do it and could have fun with my designs. I dedicate this to Gio Swaby and my mom, who supports my art.
Jemima
Glow with the Flow
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.
Kadina
Summer Butterflies
I dedicate my portrait to butterflies, because they make me feel happy inside. I love how Gio Swaby puts so many details into her portraits and expresses herself with gems, rhinestones, beads, string, fabric, etc.
Karina
The Pink Stars
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...
Malaika
Summer Clothes
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.
Nyeema
Blue and White
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.
Roslene
Grateful for Love
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...
Shardly
Feel Good Fit
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.
Sophia
Crank Dat
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.
Soraya
Shadow Hero
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.
