Looming large over the Massachusetts Turnpike, high above GBH Studios, stretches the building’s iconic digital mural. Measuring 30 feet by 45 feet, this giant solar powered mural is designed to delight commuters with a daily theme that is meant to provoke thought, inspire curiosity, and reflect the content and values of public media. 

On Saturday, March 23terceiro, Vinfen will be proudly represented as that day’s featured image—specifically, a watercolor by Kathleen Wells, an artist from Vinfen’s Gateway Arts program. And the timing couldn’t be better, as March 23terceiro is also the day GBH will host The 17º Annual Vinfen Film Festival. 

Kathleen works in Studio A at Gateway Arts, a groundbreaking program dedicated to advancing careers in the arts for adults with disabilities. She works in several styles and media (acrylic paints, pastels, and printmaking), always with bold use of color, line, texture, and emotional intensity. Her art can be characterized by a spirit of experimentation and resourcefulness, and she chooses to explore psychological states by using the human figure, landscapes, and resonant objects to create magical worlds, ask questions, and tell stories. 

The Vinfen Film Festival uses the power of film to raise awareness, educate our community, and fight prejudice and discrimination often faced by people who have mental health conditions, intellectual, developmental and/or physical disabilities, brain injuries, and behavioral health challenges. On March 23terceiro, the Film Festival returns as a LIVE, in-person event for the first time since 2019, with screenings of feature-length and short films, as well as panel discussions with filmmakers, human services professionals, and individuals with lived experience. And this year, we’re adding an evening reception where festival guests can mix and mingle!  

Tickets for the event start at $10, which includes complimentary parking. Refreshments will be available at the event. To purchase tickets, and for more information (including a full schedule of events), please visit www.vinfen.org/film-festival.