A Message from Brian

A MESSAGE FROM BRIAN

It has been a truly remarkable year. Last March, as the pandemic brought life as we knew it to a halt, we at Creative Art Works put all our creativity into delivering quality creative youth development to New York City kids. We started by quickly designing new lesson plans that made use of art supplies students could find around their home. Many of these required nothing more than a pencil and paper. We worked with our program partners to tailor course offerings to the needs of their students and experimenting with live and asynchronous instruction. We set out to demonstrate that creative expression could continue during at-home schooling, but I would argue that we proved how necessary it is.

As the NYC Department of Education began to provide more equitable access to technology, we continued to innovate. We developed a new apprenticeship in graphic design to engage high school students in a virtual classroom. “Hold On,” invited interns to create art that answered the essential question, “What do you want to hold on to from your life before the pandemic?” They chose words like, freedom, values, culture, family, and determination. We were blown away by their resilience and their optimism, as well as their artwork.

When the city announced they planned to cancel the 2020 Summer Youth Employment Program, we committed to hiring 50 apprentices, at our own expense, for remote digital arts apprenticeships. With the nation wracked by social strife, we engaged these young people in safe and brave spaces for creative self-expression and respectful communication, and gave them professional tools to create social justice posters on the subjects that mattered to them most. Once again, these young people surprised us, both by the unexpected variety of issues they addressed and the sophistication of their messaging.

WE HAVE BEEN LAYING THE GROUNDWORK FOR A BETTER TOMORROW BY FOCUSING ON THE THINGS WE CAN BUILD TODAY.

In addition to exploring issues that were weighty, we also purposefully created opportunities for joy, imagination, and for the whimsical. When some of our students and their school teachers, told us they longed to take a break from staring at screens, our staff and teaching artists, packaged hundreds of “art-to-go” bags and delivered materials into the hands of our young people. (You can read more about our this program inside the back cover of this journal.)

These are just a few highlights of the vital programs made possible by your generous donations, large and small. Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, we will continue to equip, connect, and inspire NYC youth for many more years to come.

Thank you,

Brian Ricklin

Executive Director and CEO

CAW Youth Apprentice Julian Vasquez helps distribute “art-to-go” bags at MS 45 in The Bronx.