Bigger than just apparel Brockton artists team up with Tom Brady for social justice T-shirt design competition – SouthCoastToday.com

BROCKTON "Art is our protest" is their motto.

"Unity through art" is their mission.

Brockton is their home.

And their latest project is a collaboration with a company owned by Tom Brady.

Power of Art, a new collective of Brockton creatives, kicked off a series of public projects this June with a mural showing seven fists of different colors raised in unison, painted onto the exterior wall of Champion Ice Cream on Legion Parkway.

Lindsay Loza, a painter and portrait artist, said the group formed less than a month earlier with the goal of creating opportunities for Brockton artists to respond to widespread protests over racism in law enforcement.

"Our job is to reflect the times," Loza said.

The upcoming collaboration with TB12, Brady's sportswear and nutrition brand, offers the collective its broadest platform yet to help Brockton artists share work centered on social justice in the city. TB12 advertises internationally and maintains nearly 400,000 followers on Instagram, using Bradys unparalleled achievements as a quarterback in the National Football League to sell athletic gear, prepared meals and nutritional supplements.

In what company executives called "a chance to take a stand on social justice," TB12 plans to manufacture and sell the Brockton-made designs through its online store, donating the proceeds to nonprofits in the city.

In September, Power of Art and TB12 announced an open call for design submissions. Several local fashion brands have been contacted to participate as well.

"Bigger than just apparel and inspired by Brockton imagery, the contest promotes social justice, determination, empowerment and community pride," Power of Art said in a written statement.

"In an effort to stand against racial injustices afflicting communities of color, Brockton residents are challenged to submit t-shirt designs that embody these values."

A panel of Brockton artists and TB12 executives plans to choose as many as three winning designs in November. Ollie Spears, a former city council candidate whose personal ties to Bradys company made the competition possible, will have a say in the choice as well.

Once the designs from Brockton are screenprinted, the shirts themselves could direct attention from TB12 customers toward a city that was once famous in its own right for manufacturing athletic gear.

Growing up in Brockton, Loza said she rarely saw artists work together on public projects.

Were trying to create a new culture here, she said.

The collaboration breaks new ground for TB12 as well, marking the first time the company has crowdsourced designs from local artists.

This is completely new for us, very much unlike anything weve ever done before, said TB12 marketing specialist Drew Bradley. It really feels like the right time to take this kind of action.

Power of Art has six members, including Loza, the groups founder. Barbatt Jocelyn and Tricia Seda, who run Massive Media, a Brockton brand consultancy, are members. Salena McAlarney, a tattoo artist and illustrator, joined at the outset, as did Jamaal Bonette, a painter, and Roland Gilbert, Lozas boyfriend.

The collective has several public art projects on the horizon, including a mural for Empower Nutrition, a Black-owned smoothie business on Brocktons Crescent Street.

The artists share their work on personal Instagram pages and a separate account for Power of Arts group projects.

For more information on the t-shirt contest, visit tb12sports.com/blog/art-brockton.

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Bigger than just apparel Brockton artists team up with Tom Brady for social justice T-shirt design competition - SouthCoastToday.com