PUBLIC ART YOUTH EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM SUMMER 2019
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THE GREAT BLUE
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UNDERWATER PARADISE
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GROWTH & REBIRTH
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CYCLES OF MIGRATION
BY THE ALL STARS 1
PUBLIC ART YOUTH EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM SUMMER 2019
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The Great Blue Growth & Rebirth Underwater Paradise Cycles of Migration
by The All Stars Unveiling Celebration Wednesday, August 14th, 1:15 PM Bronx County Family Court 900 Sheridan Ave, Bronx, NY Ayla Rexroth, Teaching Artist Cupid Ojala, Teaching Artist Assistant
About the Paintings
These four sumptuous paintings of native New York plants and animals in soothing shades of blue, orange, green, purple and ochre will bring a message of hope and beauty to visitors to a Bronx County Family Court waiting room. The subjects include brook trout, great heron, milkweed and monarch butterflies. Aside from the bucolic themes, there are unifying threads of change, renewal, growth, and migration. 2
FROM BRIAN RICKLIN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR The Youth Apprentices who call themselves “The All Stars” shared a mission. During six weeks in July and August, Creative Art Works challenged 19 young people to create four large-scale paintings for Bronx County Family Court. Even though many of them had little to no prior experience making art of any sort, the finished product had to be of professional quality, because it is destined for a public waiting area where it will be seen by thousands of citizens each year. The art had to be true to the voice of the youth, both individually and collectively, but it also had to convey the client’s message. And the client’s theme was a tall order given its challenging environment: the art must express a message of hope and compassion, especially for the youngest members of our society who must appear in court. Finally, the work had to be delivered on time, which created a sense of urgency. We provide our Youth Apprentices with all the necessary elements for success. Our professional teaching artists equip them with all the necessary skills and our generous supporters provide quality materials, but that does not mean we coddle them – in fact, we push them to create superior works of art. More importantly, we can attest, they pushed themselves and each other. These 19 strangers came together as a team to create truly beautiful art. Thank you for attending today’s unveiling. It is sometimes difficult for artists to appreciate the impact their work has on the public until they see it presented to the people for whom it was created. Our Youth Apprentices develop a sense of ownership as they create their art, and that sense is amplified when each individual tells the audience what contributions they made to the project. Your presence here is an essential element in the success of our shared mission.
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The All Stars 4
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Ahkiyrah Ramkissoon Ahkiyrah is 16 years old, she lives in Manhattan, and attends Park East High School. This is her first time working for Creative Art Works, where she has been able to use the art skills acquired in high school. She is excited to create murals that will be impactful to many. One day she hopes to share her voice to a wider crowd through her love of theater. One of her favorite quotes is, “We realize the importance of our voices only when we are silenced� by Malala Yousafzai.
Andrea Basanta Andrea is 19 years old and is a rising sophomore at Bronx Community College. This will be her second year at Creative Art Works, and she is proud to collaborate with new people. Her interests are dancing, writing, and drawing. She believes that Creative Art Works has helped her grow into a more artistic person than she ever thought she would be. In the future, she hopes to be in a teaching career where she can inspire and be creative with her students.
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Devalis Carver Devalis is 20 years old and from Brooklyn, New York. He is currently completing his bachelor’s degree in studio art at York College. His dream is to become a rapper and a producer. He would also like to be a graphic designer in order to make his own cover art. This is his second summer working for Creative Art Work. In 2018 worked on Momentum for Dock 72 in the Brooklyn Navy Yard. During his free time he plays video games, produces music, and paints.
Ava Dennis Ava is 20 years old and was born and raised on the Upper West Side. She plans to get a master’s in social work. She is interested in art therapy and art education and hopes to learn from her teaching artist about key elements of mentoring and nurturing artistic growth. She was drawn to Creative Art Works because she believes public art can help make art accessible to those who do not otherwise have access. She believes art should be for everyone and that all artists should be paid for their labor. One of her favorite artists, Keith Haring, once said: “Art is nothing if you don’t reach every segment of the people.”
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Briah Brown Briah is 19 and from Harlem. She loves to be creative. Working at Creative Art Works, she is expanding her knowledge in professional practices. She is a sophomore in college with an interest in the arts. She loves to be artistic through makeup, fashion, and photography. Her goal is to be a successful career woman. The people that inspire her are her parents, who immigrated from Belize and built their own success in America.
Ellis Carrion Ellis is 18 and will be in his senior year in Harlem Village Academy High. He joined Creative Art Works because of his artistic background and hopes this will help improve his own art. While working this summer he has created concept art to be used in electronic media. His hobbies include: drawing, viewing anime, and playing video games. His ideal career goal is to become a video-game designer.
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Elsie Vidal Elsie is 21 years old and she lives in Washington Heights. She recently earned her associate’s degree in psychology. She aspires to have a career in the medical field and when the summer is over, she will be attending a medical assisting program. She has worked for Creative Art Works for the past four summers. She had also worked on projects in the spring and winter during those four years. She feels that the activities during the process of creating the murals, has helped her build collaborative and communicative skills all while having fun. Her hobbies consist of sitting outside and reading. Jakilah Greene Jakilah is 19 and grew up in Harlem in New York City. This is her first time working with Creative Art Works, and she enjoyed learning advanced team working skills. She is currently attending Buffalo State College. She has always had a passion for art, dance and fashion, but she plans on majoring in animal science or business. One of her career goals is to own her own animal shelter or animal sanctuary for endangered species. She is inspired by her parents, older brother, Ashley Gram, and BeyoncÊ. 9
Katherine Ponce Age 17, Katherine loves to draw, sing, play violin and piano, and do theater. Born and raised in Bushwick, she has devoted her life to the arts and has been in programs like Future Music Projects at Carnegie Hall. There she learned digital arts using programs like Photoshop and has had her work displayed in shows. This is her first time working with Creative Art Works, and she loves it! She aspires to be an animator or an architect one day, but ultimately, she dreams of happily raising a bunny some time in the future.
Jade Gatling Jade is an 18-year-old from Harlem. She recently graduated high school and is excited to attend SUNY Oswego. She participated in Creative Art Works because she has a love for painting, drawing, and films. One day she hopes to become an environmental engineer. Her mom inspires her to pursue her dream of raising awareness for the environment. Through her apprenticeship she has learned artistic skills such as shading and painting, but most importantly has gained more knowledge about herself.
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Leaire Smaltz Leaire is 19 years old. He was born and raised in Harlem. He chose Creative Art Works for a new summer experience and currently works at FedEx. His aspirations are to become a producer, songwriter, and build his own corporation. Smaltz wants to obtain a bachelor’s degree in business marketing. He enjoys weekend bike rides through Central Park, playing video games, and hitting the gym on Saturdays. His collaborative and artistic skills have improved with Creative Art Works.
Tahmina Sultana Sultana is a 19-year-old sophomore at City College of New York. Her goal is to become a primary school teacher. She joined Creative Art Works because she wants to incorporate art into her classroom. Sultana believes that CAW will help her obtain the artistic skill set that she can use in the future. In her spare time, she loves to do calligraphy and play badminton. One thing she always tells herself is that your best teacher is your last mistake.
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Jennifer Simmons Jennifer is a 17-year-old art major from Queens. She attends LaGuardia High School, where she spends a lot of time oil painting and helping curate art shows. She usually works alone when creating art, so working on a team at Creative Art Works has been an especially exciting experience for her. In college, she plans to pursue both her interests in science and art, as she believes they go hand in hand. Creating meaningful art that resonates with others is incredibly important to her and something she plans to accomplish with her work in the future.
Paola Perez Paola is 20 years old and lives in Washington Heights. She currently attends The City College of New York and is expected to graduate in May 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in theater. Paola hopes to become a set and costume designer for theater, television, and movies. She previously worked for CAW in the summer of 2017, where she expanded her artistic abilities and had an overall great experience. In her spare time, Paola enjoys cooking, playing video games, and designing clothes.
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Lucia Bonaccio Lucia is a 17-year-old attending the High School of Art and Design. She currently lives in Manhattan, and this is her second time working with Creative Art Works. She has a great passion for comic book art, animation, and music. When it comes to art, an inspiration of hers would be Chella Man, because he fights for the LGBTQ+ community and makes empowering art. Her hope is to create art that inspires others. In the future, her goal is to be an artist or a musician. Her favorite quote is, “Some days, life is a grand adventure; other days it’s an uncomfortable necessity before sleep� by Atticus Finch.
Shakeur Woods Shakeur is 19 years old and lives in Manhattan, NY. He recently graduated from Business of Sports School. He spends his time reading and playing basketball. His career goal is to become a guidance counselor. In this job he will help out kids who are in danger of failing or dropping out so they can seek a better future. Shakeur promises his friends and family he will become a successful man in the future. He also promised his best friend Jeremiah, who passed away on May 17, 2019.
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Zion Boston Zion is a 19-year-old who is not a person of many words. While he is home in the Bronx, he likes to draw things that inspire him and play games on his Xbox. His career goal is to become a graphic artist. He joined Creative Art Works because he is a talented artist. He has learned the importance of keeping a sketchbook. This daily practice of drawing has improved his drawing skills.
Cupid Ojala, Teaching Artist Assistant
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Cupid earned his MFA at Parsons The New School for Design, where he developed fantasy spaces that explore Queer identities and relationships. His exhibitions include Art Institute at the University of Pennsylvania, The Kitchen, The Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art in New York City, Art During the Occupation Gallery and Fuchs Projects in Brooklyn, The Stamp Gallery at the University of Maryland, and The Button Factory in New Jersey. Cupid grew up in a conservative, Mormon family in rural Bumpass, Virginia. He received his BFA in painting and printmaking from Virginia Commonwealth University. His studio is in Brooklyn where he currently resides.
James Mangan James is 21 years old and from Washington Heights. He has already graduated from high school at the Hallen School in New Rochelle, and he is very smart and well-educated. This is his first year working with Creative Art Works, and he is very excited to be working here. His hobbies include reading comic books, playing video games, watching TV, and drawing. If he had to pick an ideal job for the future, it would have to be something in either the comic book or video-game industry.
Ayla Rexroth, Teaching Artist Ayla is an artist and designer living and working in New York City. She earned her BFA from the Kansas City Art Institute in 2010. That same year, she founded the Subterranean Gallery – an underground apartment gallery in Kansas City, Missouri, that operated until 2016. Ayala received her MFA from Hunter College in 2016 and currently has an active studio practice in drawing, painting, fibers, and Installation art. Her work is held in the collections of the Europa Museum of Art and the Schengen Peace Foundation.
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Cycles of Migration 17
This program was made possible, in part, by the Summer Youth Employment Program of the NYC Department of Youth and Community Development, and by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council, and these generous supporters:
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About the Public Art Youth Employment Program
CAW’s Public Art Youth Employment programs give teens and young adults fulltime summer jobs and part-time jobs after school to create large-scale public art and multimedia projects. Youth Apprentices are guided by professional teaching artists from the initial concept development through client presentation, to the final edit and public unveiling or premiere. Along the way, they gain tangible employment and life skills such as leadership, teamwork, responsibility and the power of taking initiative. They are empowered by the enduring accomplishment in their work of art and its positive impact on the community.
About Creative Art Works
Creative Art Works (CAW) is a 33-year-old nonprofit that empowers young people through the visual and multimedia arts. Our programs equip children, teens, and young adults with essential tools and skills; connect them with community, academic success, and career opportunities; and inspire them to reach for new possibilities. Working in under-served neighborhoods of New York City, in public schools, community centers, parks, and libraries, CAW provides dynamic art-making experiences for youth who otherwise lack access. Our programs build confidence, unlock a love of learning, and teach valuable technical and developmental skills while creating profound connections between our young constituents, their art and their communities. Students are never charged for participation in our programs. www.creativeartworks.org Creative Art Works is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, EIN #13-3638436 Copyright © 2019 Creative Art Works. All rights reserved.
Growth and Rebirth
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Underwater Paradise
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The Great Blue
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Bronx Family Court All Stars
Join the Conversation!
caw4kids
creativeartworks.nyc
@caw4kids
520 Eighth Avenue, Suite 201A New York, NY 10018 646.424.0392 www.creativeartworks.org
Creative Art Works is a 501(c)(3), EIN #13-3638436 Copyright © 2019 Creative Art Works. All rights reserved. 24