Carolyn Shadid Lewis is an artist, filmmaker, animator, and educator whose work tells personal stories of belonging. Her films and installations have shown in festivals and museums internationally, such as at the Sirius Arts Center in Cobh, Ireland, and at the Lebanese Independent Film Festival in Beirut. Her work has gained the support of many organizations, including the Irish Arts Council, the New England Foundation for the Arts, the Boston Public Health Commission, and the National Endowment for the Arts. She has partnered with Facing History and Ourselves, CoGenerate, and the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL). Her documentary, InterGeneration brought a diverse group of Boston teens and elders together during the pandemic for storytelling and animation. The film broadcast on GBH and is streaming on PBS. The InterGeneration Lab, a broader project inspired by the film, bridges generations through the arts. She began the work as the 2024 Artist-in-Resident at Massachusetts College of Art and Design.

Growing up in a military home with Irish and Lebanese grandparents, Carolyn heard many stories of distant lands and bygone eras. These stories influenced her own experience of the world. Early on, she saw how oral history could empower the listener to change their present by better understanding the past. She also saw the storyteller come alive as they remembered themselves in a younger state. By empathetically listening to stories, including those of pain, loss, and grief, Carolyn learned that she and the storyteller were better connected and less alone. Carolyn’s work today continues what she learned as a child. She seeks to create empathetic experiences for participants in her interdisciplinary artwork, transforming the solitary act of remembrance into a shareable experience.