PUBLIC ART YOUTH EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM SUMMER 2019
DOCUMENTARY FILMS: •
GIRL BE HEARD BEYOND
•
KEONNE SAMUEL: LIFE LESSONS
•
NEW YORK RUNS ON NONPROFITS
•
PAWNS TO QUEENS
•
RANDOLPH HOUSES
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PUBLIC ART YOUTH EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM SUMMER 2019 Mini-Documentary Premieres Thursday, August 15th, 1:15 PM Jacob Schiff School Auditorium 500 West 138th Street, Manhattan, NY •
GIRL BE HEARD BEYOND
•
KEONNE SAMUEL: JUST GETTING STARTED
•
NEW YORK RUNS ON NONPROFITS
•
PAWNS TO QUEENS
•
RANDOLPH HOUSES
Tim Slade, Teaching Artist Barthelemy Atsin, Teaching Artist Makia Harper, Teaching Artist Samson Stillwell, Teaching Artist
About the Films
Creative Art Works’ Youth Apprentices created five mini-documentaries as part of CAW’s summer Public Art Youth Employment program. Each fourminute documentary focuses on the work of a New York City nonprofit organization including, Girl Be Heard, Nonprofit New York, Chess in the Schools, West Harlem Group Assistance, and Creative Art Works.
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FROM BRIAN RICKLIN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
The Creative Art Works Youth Apprentices who worked on our summer documentary teams shared a mission: to extol the values of nonprofit organizations and the important contributions they make to society. During six weeks in July and August, Creative Art Works challenged 20 young filmmakers to create short documentaries about five NYC-based nonprofits. Most of them had little to no prior experience shooting or editing movies; and yet, the finished product had to be of professional quality. The films had to be true to the voice of the youth, both individually and collectively, but they also had to convey the mission and values of each client. Finally, the work had to be delivered on time, which created a sense of urgency. We equip our Youth Apprentices with all the necessary elements for success. Our professional teaching artists introduce them to all the necessary skills and our generous supporters provide quality equipment, but that does not mean we coddle them – in fact, we push them to create superior films. More importantly, we can attest, they pushed themselves and each other. These 20 strangers came together as a team to create truly memorable films. Thank you for attending today’s premiere. 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 movies, and that sense is amplified when each individual tells the audience what contributions they made to their projects. Your presence here is an essential element in the success of our shared mission.
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The 2019 Documentary Film Teams
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Justin Cruz Justin recently graduated from Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis High School. He has been involved in many activities throughout his life, such as sailing, tae kwon do, baseball, golf, and drumming. Any opportunity life has given Justin, he has grasped it to acquire knowledge, skills, and experience. He has always had an affinity for computers and has taught himself the ins and outs of all the different programs needed for business and creative thinking. Justin’s goal is to have a career in game design. His dream is to help build a passionate community around what he has made and feel proud of the creativity that led to it.
Kassandra Crespo Kassandra is originally from Florida. She is currently attending Borough of Manhattan Community College with a major in psychology. She is a graduate of Miramar High School. During her freshman year, she participated in a touring poetry group called The Truth Spittahz, who performed spoken word at many prestigious venues including Nova Southeastern University and Hard Rock Stadium. Kassandra’s team also performed in competitions held by the Jason Taylor organization. She loves to express herself creatively through spoken word, because she grasps the audience’s attention and many relate to her stories. What inspires Kassandra are her life experiences. Writing is a form of escape for her.
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Carolyn Schmit Carolyn is a rising senior and athlete. She moved to New York in 2016 after living in Tel Aviv, Zurich, Amsterdam, and Detroit. She attends Columbia Secondary School in Harlem and plays outside hitter on her school’s volleyball team. Her club team recently won the Big City League Championships with her leading as a main hitter. She also writes, having been published in the Girls Write Now annual anthology. She also spoke at Girls Write Now’s Chapters in 2018 and 2019.
Brandon Trent Brandon is a high school student currently attending Fiorello H. Laguardia High School, majoring in dance. Some of his credits include dancing in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, Disney World’s Epcot, and starring in Wyclef Jean’s music video “My Girl.” His interests include photography, editing music, and cooking. His goal for the future is to be a world renowned dancer and choreographer.
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Destiny Ramos Destiny is a freshman at BMCC with a major in business. Previously, Destiny was majoring in fashion for two years in high school as well as volunteering in an art performance called ART2030 Tow with the Flow to create awareness about alternative modes of consumption. She performed for international audiences in NYC for United Nations summit, as well as volunteering and working with Label Area NYC to dress and organize models in their appropriate looks for their Spring/ Summer 2019 fashion show.
Kalisha Negbley Kalisha recently graduated from Manhattan Center High School and she will attend Kingsborough Community College in the fall to pursue a degree in fashion design. After that, she plans to continue her studies at a four year university to obtain a second degree. In her free time, Kalisha likes to draw and journal, and she is very passionate about the world.
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Diana Pagan Diana Pagan is a student and filmmaker attending City-As-School located in the Greenwich Village. Previously, she was a cashier at Housing Works, a non-profit organization that advocates for those struggling with HIV/AIDS and homelessness. A senior due to graduate in the Fall 2019, Diana has presented at the United Federation of Teachers for the annual Season for Nonviolence in tribute of Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi, in front of multiple student bodies, delegates of the United Nations, and Minnie Jean Trickey of the Little Rock Nine. An avid reader, writer, and a devoted student of esoteric and occult sciences, Diana studies Metaphysics.
Victor Zapata III Victor is an incoming freshman at Pace University who plans to major in computer science. He started his career by modifying the game Minecraft, creating personalized ingame objects. He took an Advanced Placement (AP) course in computer science where he coded his first game in Java. Victor worked at CUNY in the Heights as a junior counselor and a lead robotics instructor, teaching elementary to middle school children Lego robotics. His own Lego collection includes more than 10 completed sets. Victor had taken part in constructing four different robots. He also builds paper models of skyscrapers, such as the World Trade Center and the Empire State Building. 9
Reign Gray Reign is a queer trans male of color who currently resides in Manhattan. He is an activist for equal rights for all people. He participates in support groups that educate people about LGBTQ issues, women’s rights, and people of color. He is also an artist and musician who creates important conversations about mental health through art, music and fashion, while also expressing his identity. He plans in the future to create his own fashion label and make a difference in the world by promoting acceptance for all people.
Karol Cuellar Karol is a 16 year old who is currently attending A. Philip Randolph Campus High School as a junior. Karol is in the engineering track and is learning about chemistry and how materials are formed. Karol loves drawing and being creative. Rather than seeing the world one way she likes thinking outside of the box.
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Timothy Rogers Timothy is a New York customer service salesperson and documentary filmmaker. He was born and raised in Brooklyn. He is very interested in business management and will attend college to further his education. Timothy has experience in creating graphic design images in Adobe Photoshop and editing and animating film in Premiere Pro and Adobe Flash. He has previously worked as a store clerk in the Salvation Army in Downtown Brooklyn. He was also a counselor at Brownsville Recreation Center, where he worked with students ages 6 through 14. He has excellent skills in communications and sales. In his free time, Timothy likes to go to the park, watch movies, and play video games.
Tierrah Rivera Tierrah is studying graphic design and media arts at SUNY Potsdam where she is learning how to use Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects, Dreamweaver, InDesign, and Premiere Pro. Projects she has completed include movie posters, composited photography, company logos and stationery. Tierrah has also worked with children at the Lighthouse Summer Program where she tutored children in math and english. In her free time, Tierrah draws, designs logos, and makes graphic art.
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Etinosa Uwaifo Etinosa is a recent college graduate with a bachelor’s degree in computer management and information systems from Adelphi University. He is a creative young man who is always willing to go out there and offer a new and unique perspective towards whatever he’s working on while still making sure to be a team player and compromise with others. When he’s not on the clock, Etinosa likes to play video games or sharpen his art skills.
Koki Shido Koki is a full-time studio arts student at SUNY Buffalo. He is a graphic designer, artist, and filmmaker. Koki is currently pursuing his passion and love for the creative field, and enjoying the many options and paths that have started opening up to him. In his free time, Koki enjoys spending time with his family, playing around with Adobe Suite, playing the guitar, listening to music, reading books, debating with his friends, and traveling the world.
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Robin Koiner Robin recently graduated from The City College of New York where she studied chemistry and psychology. Aside from being interested in the sciences, Robin enjoys creating art, doing makeup, and filming and editing videos. Previously, Robin worked as a freelance makeup artist for a nonprofit organization that provides mini makeovers for low income moms. Her commitment to helping women express themselves and feel beautiful allows Robin to help make a difference in someone’s life. Robin is an artist, a hard worker, and is devoted to healing women.
Yineri Duarte Hilario Yineri is a Dominican native and is a junior at A. Phillip Randolph Campus High School. She has recently enjoyed learning how to shoot video and work with Adobe Premiere as an editing tool, to develop an interest in documentary filmmaking. Yineri recently began learning chess and looks forward to mastering the game!
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Josue Reyes Josue currently lives in New York but is attending high school in Cuba at Ide in Pinar Del Rio as a junior. In addition to his creative interests, he aspires to pursue a career in law enforcement. Josue is a wellrounded athlete who plays a number of sports, including basketball and wrestling. In his downtime, he enjoys fishing, bike riding, and spending time with friends and family.
Sophie Applewhite Sophie is a Manhattan-based artist and student. She is a rising junior at Laguardia High School majoring in visual arts and specializing in painting and drawing. She did a summer art intensive at SVA in 2017 where she learned about anatomy and color theory. She also trained at Broadway For All in 2018 for screen-writing, and she knows how to craft a story. She has interests in writing, specifically screen-writing. She played on her high school Junior Varsity soccer team as goalie.
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Nikita Shadurski Nikita is in his third year of high school at the Academy for Software Engineering where he is learning coding and 3-D design and printing. He knows how to operate Chrome OS, Windows OS, and Mac OS. Nikita has maintained a GPA of 3.0 or higher. He treats his classmates and teachers with the utmost respect. Nikita does what the teachers tell him to do and also helps his classmates the best he can. In his free time Nikita edits his own videos and studies design.
Jashaan Freeman Jashaan is a junior at The New School where he studies modern dance and ballet. Jashaan has a great passion to continue to develop his artistic skills across the board, primarily focused on choreographing dances for adults and children. He also works with special needs children, who he tutors in various subjects and also teaches life skills.
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Teaching Artist Barthelemy Atsin Originally from Philadelphia, Barthelemy is a graduate of Marymount Manhattan College and an alumnus of SVA’s After Effects and Photoshop program intensive. He studied Shakespeare at Balliol College and performed live throughout Oxford. He was commissioned for his artwork by Nicole Kidman. He’s collaborated with Elizabeth Swados on developing children’s books and creating backdrops for La Mama’s main stage performances. In the summer of 2018, he premiered his first animated children’s show, Kids Play, on the BRIC Free Speech Network in Brooklyn. Barthelemy has also worked with Creative Art Works during the school year, teaching fine art fundamentals to first and second grade students at PS 138 and PS 192.
Teaching Artist Tim Slade Tim is a writer, director and filmmaker. His films have screened at over 70 international film festivals and have been broadcast in 40 countries. He has won best film and audience choice awards for his documentary and narrative films, including a Chicago HUGO Television Award for his feature-length documentary 4. The Destruction of Memory (narrated by the Oscar, BAFTA and Golden Globe nominated actress Sophie Okonedo), has been broadcast and screened in over 30 countries, including the United Nations. Tim has written and directed the short dramas Weird Sisters, Every Other Weekend and I Was Robert Mitchum. He is currently developing two television drama series, a narrative feature and two documentary films. 16
Teaching Artist Makia Harper Makia is a Brooklyn-based documentary filmmaker, media artist, and film/ media instructor. Her feature-length documentary, God Speaks: Philadelphia Voices Against Violence, was screened in festivals across the country. She has created short documentaries on topics surrounding the intersection between social justice, community development, and spirituality. Makia is working on her first audio-visual installation, “Better than Before,� the story of a Vietnam vet whose faith and optimism propel him through war, illness, and racism. She is an adjunct professor at Hunter College in the Film and Media Department. She also teaches video editing at Manhattan Neighborhood Network. Makia is a contributing writer to the media arts journal, After Image, and was a writer for the Philadelphia City Paper.
Teaching Artist Samson Stilwell Samson is a Queens-based artist and educator working with sound, sculpture, video, and performance. His work has been performed throughout the US and Canada for series such as Volume, Land and Sea, Quiet City, and Commend. His installations have been shown at Portland Institute for Contemporary Art and Gern En Regalia. He holds a BA with an emphasis in The Contemporary Lyric: Poetry, Sound, and Visual Media from The Johnston Center for Integrative Studies. He currently is the director of Mole End, a project space in Ridgewood Queens, and produces an art and technology series for The Juilliard School.
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These programs were made possible, in part, with funding from 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:
Creative Art Works is proud to partner with these nonprofits:
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About the Public Art Youth Employment Program
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 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 Š 2019 Creative Art Works. All rights reserved.
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PUBLIC ART YOUTH EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM SUMMER 2019 DOCUMENTARY FILMS: •
GIRL BE HEARD BEYOND
•
KEONNE SAMUEL: LIFE LESSONS
•
NEW YORK RUNS ON NONPROFITS
•
PAWNS TO QUEENS
•
RANDOLPH HOUSES
Join the Conversation!
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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. 20