Many artists spend their entire careers attempting to capture what is significant to them.
Emily Boulger, a Haverhill artist and Danvers special education teacher, has spent her entire career capturing what's special to others.
Boulger is the lead artist for the Connecting Community through the Arts mural project, which she hopes will unite the community of downtown Haverhill and beyond.
To tie all the paintings together, Boulger plans to develop a swirling overlay that culminates in an eye at the center of the piece — the only one not designed and painted by volunteer community groups. (See related story, Page 7)
"I thought a good way of getting people involved was through a collaborative project," she said. "I feel it helps people have ownership, this is their city too."
A member of the Haverhill Cultural Council and Team Haverhill, Boulger has developed a reputation for her involvement in innovative public art projects that draw upon the rich history of the city and its community. Last year, she took part in the "Shoe-la-bration" with her piece, "Through the Looking Glass".
At Sunday's KidsFest, Boulger will oversee the action at the Cultural Council's booth, where children can paint a section of a collective mural that will live on as a reminder of the day.
Taking ownership is an idea that has come to define Boulger's professional life. As a special education teacher, her learning philosophy dictates that individuals learn by doing. She also notes that students with learning disabilities and other special needs can develop as an empowered individual through art and education.
"They have just as strong a voice as anybody else does," said Boulger. "I'm more excited about showing their work than mine."
Boulger became involved in education after taking a part-time position as a para-professional at Mohawk Trail Regional High School in 2000 after graduating with a bachelor's degree in Fine Arts from the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan. Originally taking the job for supplemental income, she quickly discovered her love of teaching through a student named Angie.
Angie, who had depression and developmental delays, created art that was "incredibly profound" and different from anything Boulger had spent the last several years of her life studying, she said. In turn, Boulger spent most of the following year attempting to capture what made Angie's art so special through her own work.
"It really opened my eyes to the population," she said. "Regardless of their disabilities they can make incredibly profound things."
After hearing the call to her new profession, Boulger returned to school to receive a master's degree in Education in Moderate Disabilities from Endicott College and certification from the University of Massachusetts Lowell in behavior intervention. In 2008, she was named the Special Ed Art Educator of the Year by the Massachusetts Art Education Association.
Boulger said her evolution into an educator was a natural progression.
"I use my creativity every day to give the students what they need," she said. "I feel like I use my art degree more than my special-ed degree."
In pursuit of her calling, Boulger recently went on a weeklong residency to Romania with 15 other artists to take in the land and scenery for inspiration. Though the other artists may have been looking to the skylines for personal inspirations, Boulger was meeting with the president of Autism Romania, a group that advocates for the rights of those with autism, to discuss arts curriculum.
Bougler spoke to Romanian teachers and parents about developing special education curriculum and awareness throughout Romania, though her audience was limited by the volcanic eruptions in Iceland.
Flights were grounded all across Europe, but Boulger experienced only a short delay and returned home on schedule.
Boulger lives in downtown Haverhill with her husband, Brian Boulger. Her parents, Linda and Howard Lawrence, are residents of Haverhill.
