"Oasis" 2019 601 Lexington Avenue

PUBLIC ART YOUTH EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM SPRING 2019

OASIS BY “CONCRETE JUNGLE”

PUBLIC ART YOUTH EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM SPRING 2019 OASIS

by Concrete Jungle Unveiling Celebration Wednesday, May 15, 6:00 – 7:15 PM 601 Lexington Avenue New York, NY Mario Naves, Teaching Artist Michael Mitchell, Teaching Artist Willa Hut, Teaching Artist Assistant About the Mural

This mural was created by a team of Youth Apprentices as part of a Creative Art Works Public Art Youth Employment program.

The work was commissioned by Boston Properties for the redevelopment of the food court in the atrium of 601 Lexington Avenue. Bentel & Bentel, the architects, and Local Culture Management, the managers of the food court, provided curatorial supervision.

This large abstract work was collaboratively designed and painted by eleven students from two special high schools. The first, Liberty High School for Newcomers, works with recent immigrants to America. The second, Innovations Diploma Plus High School, is a small, academically challenging, transfer high school that offers students a second chance to earn a high school diploma and develop the skills needed for college and career success. The title of the mural makes an allusion to both the food court as an oasis in the middle of the city and to the young artists who have found a welcoming environment within this program.

Key themes and aesthetic priorities were established during a series of meetings and interviews between the Youth Apprentices and the clients. The site-specific design was largely informed by the immediate surroundings, including the art of Louise Nevelson in the neighboring Saint Peter’s Church, and the 1970s modernism of the building itself.

From Brian Ricklin, Executive Director The creation of Oasis has been an extraordinary experience in many ways. For most of the eleven Youth Apprentices who contributed to the design and execution of this mural, this was their first work experience and, for many of them, it was their first time making art of any sort. None of them had ever imagined themselves taking part in a program in which they would create a large-scale mural in a prominent public place, yet they succeeded beautifully. When 601 Lexington’s new atrium and food court opens, I believe this youth-created art will help bring the space alive, welcoming visitors and transporting them to a tranquil oasis within the heart of New York City.

The ethnic, religious and linguistic diversity of these young people is a reflection of, and a testament to, the creative dynamism that makes New York the greatest city in the world. Our Youth Apprentices flourished as individuals and succeeded as a team because of the unique attributes and different perspectives they brought to the table.

Every one of them contributed to the process and can take pride of ownership in the final art.

This cohort consists of both acute listeners and hard workers; they are genteel and gracious, curious, creative, talented, and driven. Within a few weeks of this program, I have witnessed some come out of their shells, discover new career interests, take risks, and advance both their technical and personal skills. I believe our Youth Apprentices will take their new skills and experiences with them as they go forth to new places, and I am confident they will make those places better for themselves, their community and our city.

I wish to thank Boston Properties for commissioning this artwork and supporting the Public Art Youth Employment program. I would also like to thank Bentel & Bentel for their creativity and inspiration. Thanks to Local Culture Management for embracing the kids and their art. I must also acknowledge our energetic and enthusiastic teaching staff and the tireless and dedicated CAW management team who are the foundation of our programs. Last but not least, I want to thank you, our guests today, for taking the time to join us in celebrating our young artists and their work.

Sincerely,

Brian Ricklin Executive Director and CEO

Aissatou Diallo

Khaled Mare Mohammad Khan Adela Rivera Asma Akter Binta Bah Lubna Shahbaz Christy Tom Michael Mitchell, Teaching Artist

Willa Hut, Teaching Artist Assistant Raldyn Espinal

Ronel Ingles Alondra Mora

Mario Naves, Teaching Artist

“Concrete Jungle�

Adela Rivera Adela is from the Dominican Republic.

She is 17. She has been living in the USA for five months, currently in Brooklyn, and attends Liberty High School. Some of her hobbies include reading, going to the gym, doing makeup and going on trips. This is her first job, and she saw It as good opportunity to meet new people and learn about their cultures. She has enjoyed the experience of painting a mural with CAW, because It has helped her practice art and improve her English.

Aissatou Diallo Aissatou is 17 years old. She was born in New York, but grew up in Guinea.

She likes fashion and reading, and working with her team at Creative Art Works. A junior at Liberty High, she now lives in The Bronx with her dad.

2016 was the first time she saw her father in 15 years, so now she’s happy.

This is her first job. She thanks her team for working with her, and hopes to gain a lot from this apprenticeship.

She’s already learned many new things, including how to think creatively.

Alondra Mora Alondra is 16 years old and a junior at Liberty High School. She was born in the Dominican Republic. She wants to be a psychologist or a criminologist.

She likes to have experiences that teach her something new. At CAW, she learned how to use new strategies to paint and enjoyed all the good moments with her group. She is grateful to have had the opportunity to participate in the creation of this mural.

Asma Akter Asma is 20 years old and she lives in Brooklyn. She goes to Liberty High School, and she enjoys hanging out and eating with her friends. She really loves the diversity of Brooklyn and meeting people from different countries and cultures. She enjoys helping others who need it. She values learning new skills. She likes that she gets to express her creative side through this job. It has motivated Asma to consider art as a career in the future and she wishes to become a graphic designer one day.

Mohammad Khan Mohammad is 20 years old. He was born in New York, and currently lives in Manhattan, but he grew up in Pakistan. He likes working, reading and writing. He goes to Liberty High School and is currently in 11th grade. He loves to work with art and paint. He would like to continue studying art in order to become an art teacher. Through this experience with Creative Art Works, he has improved his presentation skills and has become more comfortable reading and writing in English.

Lubna Shahbaz Lubna is 21 years old. She is a recent immigrant from Pakistan, who currently lives in Brooklyn, and goes to Liberty High School in Manhattan. Lubna was never interested in art before she joined Creative Art Works, but her experience will always be a part of personal story and her consciousness of her own abstract world, just like the abstract art she created at CAW. Her experiences working on this mural will stay with her until the day she dies. This is her first mural program, but she is already looking forward to working on a team this upcoming summer.

Raldyn Espinal Raldyn is from New York and is 17 years old. Raldyn’s perspective on Creative Art Work is that it is a good environment with a peaceful, welcoming feeling at all times.

It is a place where you not only learn things you thought you could never do, but learn to do them easily. Raldyn feels like there was never a moment with CAW when he didn’t feel supported. He feels like working with CAW was a great time and a great way to express his inner artist.

Ronel Ingles Ronel is a 17-year-old senior at Liberty High School. He resides in New York but is originally from the Philippines. Ronel is passionate about art as a pastime and he is prolific in painting, drawing and even writing poems. Art is his way of soothing his mind from the disturbances around him. He was filled with zeal and enthusiasm when he was chosen to work with Creative Art Works to paint a mural.

He believes CAW offered him and his colleagues an environment in which to grow as young artists, and a place to learn and develop their art skills.

Binta Bah Binta is a 21-year-old from Brooklyn. She was born in Guinea, but came to the United States at the age of 17. She loves listening to music, watching YouTube videos and traveling. Binta is currently going to Liberty High and will be attending Baruch college this fall in pursuit of a career in marketing and management. Binta values her family and will work hard to take care of them. Creative Art Works opened new doors for her to start collaborating with people while also creating new opportunities to showcase her talents. She has enjoyed every part of her experience with CAW.

Christy Tom Christy is 18. Born and raised in the heart of the city, she is a native New Yorker. She will be starting university this fall for pharmaceutical sciences. Her passions range from makeup, to organic chemistry, to cybersecurity to real estate. Although she has many interests, she has had no serious artistic experience prior to joining Creative Art Works.

Christy loves to have her foot in as many doors in as many places as possible, so painting a mural with good company was a positive introduction to the arts for her.

Khaled Mare Khaled is 16 years old and attends Liberty High School. He grew up in Burkina Faso and his entire family comes from there. He likes playing basketball. It is his favorite sport and his dream is to become a professional basketball player one day. In his free time, Khalid likes shopping for sneakers and jeans, drawing, and making art. At Creative Art Works, he learned many things, including how to mix colors and work in a group.

Mario Naves , Teaching Artist Mario teaches at Pratt Institute, Brooklyn College, and Hofstra University. He has been the recipient of grants from The National Endowment for the Arts, The E.D. Foundation, The Sugarman Foundation, and The Pollock-Krasner Foundation. Mario’s paintings and works-on-paper are represented by the Elizabeth Harris Gallery in Chelsea and have been covered by The New York Times, The New York Sun, The Village Voice, ArtCritical.Com, ArtNet and other publications. Mario’s criticism has been published in The New York Observer, Slate, The New Criterion, New Art Examiner, The Wall Street Journal and City Arts. He lives and works in New York City.

Michael Mitchell, Teaching Artist Michael studied illustration at the Art Institute of Chicago, architecture at The University of Chicago’s AIA Design Center, and advertising & design at The American Academy of Art. He was a founding partner at Howell/Mitchell Design in Chicago. He is comfortable working in practically any medium, and has an extensive background in marker rendering. Michael has served as a freelance artist for most of New York’s largest advertising agencies, doing presentation storyboards for TV commercials. He has created a number of indoor and outdoor murals in Chicago, New York, New Jersey, Pittsburgh, and Honolulu. He has taught art at the Brooklyn Center for the Urban Environment and at CAW’s Saturday program at Randolph Houses in Harlem.

Willa Hut, Teaching Artist Assistant Willa Hut is a painter and teacher who believes deeply in the importance of arts engagement for youth and community development. As a Teaching Artist Assistant with CAW, in addition to her work on the 601 Lexington mural, Willa supports the implementation of an arts integrated curriculum at A. Philip Randolph High School in Harlem. She also leads K-Adult art classes and workshops at One River School of Art + Design in New Jersey and works with the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council as Selection Process Assistant for artist residencies. Previously, she provided program support for ProjectArt and the International Studio & Curatorial Program. Willa holds a BA in Art and Art History and a minor in Philosophy from Dickinson College, where she graduated summa cum laude.

Thank You John Powers, Executive Vice President, Boston Properties Andrew Levin, Senior Vice President of Leasing, Boston Properties Ricki Tishman, Project Manager, Boston Properties Patrick Cooper, Senior Construction Manager, Boston Properties John Esslinger, Senior Property Manager, Boston Properties Rebecca Levitt, Leasing Associate, Boston Properties Ian Adrian, Administrative Assistant, Boston Properties Carol Bentel, Ph. D., Partner, Bentel & Bentel Anna Castellani, Founder, Owner, Local Culture Management David Swinghamer, Operating Partner, Stripes Group Catholic Charities Community Services, Alianza Division NYC Dept. of Youth & Community Development, Work, Learn & Grow intitative Liberty High School for Newcomers Innovations Diploma Plus High School

About the Public Art Youth Employment Program

Creative Art Works’ Public Art Youth Employment Programs give teens and young adults full-time 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 premier. 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

OASIS

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.