Naomi DeMauro is one of the top students academically in the Revere High School Class of 2022 and a proud member of the National Honor Society. She is also president of the 40-student-member RHS Art Club, but right now she’s also making history in the City of Revere.
At 18 years old, DeMauro is the youngest member of the newly formed Revere Arts Commission (RAC) that was launched as an initiative by Mayor Brian Arrigo. DeMauro is representing Revere’s youth on the committee, and she is making an immediate impact. As one of her first noteworthy acts as an RAC member, DeMauro has developed The Commission’s official logo, which is a red, white, and blue paint brush with “Revere Arts Commission†on it.
“I wanted to personalize the logo and make it specific to Revere,†said DeMauro. “It ended up being really simple, but I think the colors and paint brush will definitely let people know who we are.â€
DeMauro has been attending the RAC’s virtual monthly sessions. “The members have been great and so helpful. Our chairperson, Joanne McKenna, is really, really nice and has a very good vision for the community in relation to how the arts are going to be incorporated into the community and improve out lives,†said DeMauro. “Elle Baker has done a great job bringing the Commission together.â€
“The members have been supportive as I’ve advocated for different ideas for murals that maybe we can install in the future. I’ve also brought forth ideas about public art installations that would help connect artists in the community more. I think Revere has a lot of artists, and the Revere Arts Commission will be able to connect all the artists and make Revere a more beautiful and artsy place. Everyone on the Commission is working their hardest, and I think in the future our ideas are going to come to life and help Revere.â€
DeMauro said Revere High art teacher Megan Allen, an adviser to the Art Club, has been “very supportive†of her endeavors. “We have great art teachers at the high school,†added DeMauro.
Studying Towards a Career in the Arts
Naomi DeMauro is the sixth-ranked student in the senior class and has taken several AP and honors classes. She is the creator and director of a popular webcomic called “Blighted Light.â€
Having enrolled in arts classes at the high school, DeMauro has applied to several colleges including Rhode Island School of Design, Mass Art, Brown, Harvard, BU, Lesley, and UMass/Dartmouth.
“I really want to be able to study art and graphic design in college, eventually working with other forms like the entertainment media as well as writing,†said DeMauro. “I really wanted to be a professional graphic novel artist in the future.â€
DeMauro’s work on the Arts Commission is not the first time she has participated in a public service endeavor. She previously participated in Project 351, a non-profit, community service group, during her freshman and sophomore years.
Praise from City Leaders
DeMauro’s dedication to her service on the new board has drawn commendation from city leaders, including Supt. of Schools Dianne Kelly, Ward 1 Councillor and McKenna, and Commission Creator and Overseer Elle Baker.
“Naomi is a just a phenomenal student and we’re just so thankful to the Revere Art Commission for allowing us to have a student representative,†said Kelly. “One of the things that we’re working toward with our Director of Fine Arts, Christina Porter, is developing a program where we can have an artist-in-residence, and have a student who will automatically serve on the Revere Arts Commission. It’s great to be starting that process with Naomi and really getting moving and having the kids have more of a voice in the community.â€
“Naomi developed our logo and we’re having it printed right now at Northrop,†said McKenna. “Naomi is a wonderful girl. I hope we can replace her next year with someone as terrific a student and person as she is.â€
“One of the positions on the Commission is reserved for a Revere High School student and Naomi has been a great addition,†said Baker. “She’s been part of our effort in laying the groundwork for some projects [murals at the Route 1A underpass in the Point of Pines and at a building adjacent to the Wonderland MBTA Garage] that that will commence in the spring.â€
Inspired by her Parents
Naomi is the daughter of Robert DeMauro and Robert DeMauro. She has an older sister, Emily DeMauro, 19, who is studying Animation at Lesley College.
“My parents and my sister have been very supportive,†said Naomi. “I don’t think I would have been able to do this without them. My sister loved to draw, too.â€
In fact, Naomi’s mother, Betty, is an accomplished artist and a graduate of Mass Art. She was a first-place award recipient in the Revere Art Festival.
“My mom is an artist, and I really liked all her paintings and everything,†said Naomi. “Growing up, I watched a ton of cartoons and I really like them a lot and so I wanted to be able to draw the cartoons I saw, and eventually I want to create my own original characters and my own stories. It’s been really enjoyable and something I continue to do in my free time.â€
Her father, Robert, is a hero to his daughters and everyone else, serving as a firefighter in the Revere Fire Department.