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Francis Sling 🇨🇼
The RAW Project at Dr. Henry W. Mack / West Little River K-8
Miami, Florida, U.S.A. 2026
As I mentioned in a previous post, this project brought us two artists we at The RAW Project had the honor of hosting and working with for the first time.
From the moment we met Francis, we just knew there was way more to him than just his artwork. The man exudes happiness. The way he thinks about the world is so incredibly sweet that it’s almost childlike. I mean, this mural alone proves that.
This mural speaks to every single thing that exists on the planet and how each and every one of those things has a purpose. Francis wanted the children of the West Little River community to know that they all mean something.
To say that getting to know him filled our hearts with joy would be a massive understatement.
First photo taken by Francis Sling
Second photo taken by Robert de los Rios
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Rasheed Lowe 🇦🇼
The RAW Project at Dr. Henry W. Mack / West Little River K-8
Miami, Florida, U.S.A. 2026
As I mentioned in a previous post, this round brought us the pleasure of welcoming two new artists we’ve never worked with before, and one of them is Rasheed Lowe, a brilliant young man from the island of Aruba.
He got his start when a couple of artists visited his island when he was just a young boy. Rasheed was so fascinated by what those artists were creating that he kept going back every day, playing the part of a sponge, absorbing anything and everything he could from the folks painting. In the end, when they were done, they handed Rasheed their leftover paint, and the rest is history. Fast forward a few years, and he’s now painting his first-ever international mural alongside some of the greatest artists living today.
His determination, his obsession with perfection, and his overall demeanor were a pleasure to be around. He was once a child, determined to learn everything he could from artists who came to beautify his home. Now he’s doing the same for the kids experiencing his work. It’s all come full circle, and it’s a beautiful thing.
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David “Mr. June” Louf 🇳🇱
The RAW Project at Dr. Henry W. Mack / West Little River K-8
Miami, Florida, U.S.A. 2026
The RAW Project has the honor of working with artists from all over the world, with quite a few of them coming from the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Because of our friendship with these Dutch artists, the Kingdom’s help has been significant, providing some of the funds necessary to make the project happen. It’s a partnership that brought Their Majesties, King Willem-Alexander Claus George Ferdinand and Queen Máxima Zorreguieta Cerruti, to visit this school we first painted in 2022.
They were given a tour of some of the murals by our very own queen, Dr. April Thompson, principal of Dr. Henry W. Mack. It is an honor beyond words. This round brought us three artists: one returning (Mr. June) and two new artists for TRP—one from the island of Curaçao (Francis Sling) and one from the island of Aruba (Rasheed Lowe). Stay tuned for posts regarding their murals as well.
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In honor of the upcoming visit of Their Majesties King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, a student at Dr. Henry W. Mack / West Little River K-8 Center created these portraits, alongside one of his favorite anime characters, Naruto.
Their Majesties will visit The RAW Project at Dr. Henry W. Mack / West Little River K-8 Center as one of the stops during their official visit to the United States. 🇳🇱🇺🇸
This visit recognizes the growing partnership between the Kingdom of the Netherlands and The RAW Project to bring world-class artists to underfunded and underutilized schools.
