Creative Art Works 2021 Mural at The Crossing

PUBLIC ART YOUTH EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM SUMMER 2021

CONNECTIONS THROUGH TIME AND SPACE

BY THE BODEGA CATS

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PUBLIC ART YOUTH EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM SUMMER 2021 CONNECTIONS THROUGH TIME AND SPACE

by The Bodega Cats Unveiling Celebration Wednesday, August 11th, 5:30 PM Kristy McCarthy, Teaching Artist Rebecca Jean-Philippe, Teaching Artist Assistant Madeline Deleon, Teaching Artist Assistant

About the Mural

They call themselves the “Bodega Cats.” They are eighteen NYC residents between the ages of 16 and 21 who gathered in East Harlem to paint a massive mural in the atrium of The Crossing, an L+M / Invesco mixed-income residential development. These Youth Apprentices represent the cultural, ethnic, religious, and gender diversity of our city, but they dedicated their summer to creating a work of public art that, “preserves the history, culture, diversity, intergenerational unity, and flavor of East Harlem.” The mural is visible from the many apartments that face the atrium, and the nearby elementary school, Central Park East II. The Youth Apprentices spent they first week of the program researching the East Harlem neighborhood. In addition to visits to the library and local landmarks, they interviewed community leaders, including Leona Fredericks, President of local Residence Association and Naomi Smith, Principal of Central Park East II elementary school. The final design reflects the vibrant people of the neighborhood and celebrates cultural icons, such as bodega cats, dominoes, park benches, and nearby Ward Island Bridge.

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FROM BRIAN RICKLIN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR This year marked the return of in-person Public Art Youth Employment programs for Creative Art Works. It was a deliberate and thoughtful return – all of our staff have been vaccinated and masks were required on site – yet it felt good to create a sense of community after 15 months of social distancing. We put three teams of Youth Apprentices into the field this summer. Projects included an 122-foot exterior mural for The Crossing, a L+M / Invesco residential property in East Harlem; a series of large-scale paintings for a courtroom in Bronx Family Court, and two interior murals for the Midtown headquarters of Savills. We also offered remote employment to three teams of multimedia workforce programs. All of the artmaking and design were grounded in social justice issues.

This year, we have recruited Youth Apprentices from all five boroughs who represent the cultural, ethnic, religious, and gender diversity of our city. They range in age from 16 to 24 and their interests run the gamut from engineering to musical theater. Most of them have no prior experience making art and, for many of them, this is their first summer job.

The work is physically, mentally, and emotionally demanding. Over the course of six weeks, our Youth Apprentices must come together as a team to overcome seemingly insurmountable creative and technical challenges. Internally, they must learn to navigate differing perspectives, negotiate conflicts and build group consensus. Externally, they must balance their client’s wishes while still maintaining their own voice and artistic integrity. And all of this is in addition to acquiring and developing new skills in a very short time.

Our Youth Apprentices develop a sense of ownership as they create their art, and that sense is amplified, during the culminating event, when each individual has the chance to tell their audience what contributions they made to the project.

Your presence at this event as a member of the CAW community is an essential element in the success of our shared mission.

Thank you for attending today’s event.

Sincerely,

Brian Ricklin

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The Bodega Cat s Lamaya Jordan Daniel Robles

David Stanford

Sachin Perna

Chyna Grant

Teaching Artist Kristy McCarthy

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Julianna Go

Briana Clerveaux

Sha

Chyna Jackson

omez

aron Lugo

Gabriel Cedeno

Nehemiah Hillard

Fati Salifu

Kayden Hamlet

Kyaira Tyler

Teaching Artist Assistant David Gomez Rebecca Jean-Philippe Sophia Li Teaching Artist Assistant Madeline Deleon

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Dina Alam Dina Alam is a 16 year old rising junior at LaGuardia High School, where she majors in music. Dina loves to make art, hang out with friends, go shopping/thrifting, and to make people happy!

She joined Creative Art Works to gain new artistic and work experiences, and she hopes the Mural at River Crossing inspires residents of the neighborhood and people around the world to grow and live their lives to the fullest. She lives in Manhattan with her cat, Juzo, and her mom and sister.

Sophia Li Sophia Li is a rising junior at the Brooklyn Latin School. She lived in East Harlem for 7 years and has experienced the uniqueness and diversity of this community firsthand. She enjoys creating art and expressing herself through drawing and painting. She also likes to play basketball and practice martial arts. Throughout the Creative Art Works Program, Sophia has learned to work with others and be more open minded toward other’s ideas. She plans to be more involved in art and creating her own pieces in her near future. She hopes to inspire others to create their own art.

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Gabriel Cedeno Gabriel is a 17 year old from the Bronx who lives with his mother. He is a charismatic, kind, hardworking, and interesting person. He signed up for the Creative Art Works program partly because he wanted a job but also to represent his community and his heritage. He wants the students the nearby school and the East Harlem community to feel like they’re at home, and to feel safe and staying alive. He feels very proud of what he is doing right now, because this is the first time he has been part of an activity that encourages in communication and getting to know other students.

Dayna Hernandez Dayna is a recent graduate of LaGuardia High School. She is very passionate about utilizing the arts as a means of expressing herself, from making music to creating art pieces in various mediums. Through her art, you may be able to see that she has an affinity for naturally occurring structures, as well as fluidity and ambiguity in people, things and ideas. Working a summer job with CAW has allowed her to expand her knowledge of art techniques, and explore new perspectives through meeting new people within the program and in the community of East Harlem.

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David Stanford David is attending Fordham High School For The Arts, Pursuing a successful acting career. David has recently become active in community outreach and has participated in a variety of volunteer programs, including one that gives free prom dresses and suits to less fortunate teens, as well as a program that serves Thanksgiving dinner to the elderly at Henry Street settlement. During his free time, he enjoys learning new methods for his acting career, and he has performed in two contemporary plays. David joined CAW to add to his skill set. In later years, he hopes to become a successful and well-known actor, a rich real estate agent and an investor.

Briana Clerveaux

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Briana is 20 years old and is moving on to their junior year in college. They have had an interest in art for as long as they can remember and are currently studying art and design at SUNY Buffalo; however, they may switch to ceramics. Although this is not their first summer job, this is their first time working with Creative Art Works. Briana has previously participated in many art related programs and is very flexible when it comes to working with different art mediums, from drawing, to painting, to sculpture. They are always looking for ways to improve their artwork and are pretty wellknown for detail oriented work as well as very good ideas.

Sharon Lugo Sharon is from the Lower East Side of Manhattan, and is currently enrolled into BMCC as an Animation and Motion Graphics major. This is her first job and her first time working with Creative Art Works. She previously attended and graduated from Lower Manhattan Arts Academy, and during those 4 years, she worked with The Cooper Union attending drawing classes as well as an animation art intensive class. While working with CAW she has made an improvement with her painting skills and has become more social.

Outside of work she continues to create art.

Chyna Jackson Chyna Jackson is 22 years old, lives in Brooklyn and is a senior at Long Island University where she is majoring in Theatre, Film and Television. She’s also a graduate of Stella Adler and was a dancer at MMDC and Dancewave. She also helped write and perform in The New Group’s play: “Talk About The Weather”. This is her first time working with CAW and on a mural. She is working towards being an actor as well as a teaching artist for voice, acting and dance. In pursuing her career in acting, this experience with CAW will improve her creativity in her craft.

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Daniel Robles Daniel is a 2021 graduate.

Growing up, he was interested in computer programming, music production, and art design. This is his first year with Creative Art Works. During the program, He’s learned certain principles that were hard to conceptualize before. He is aiming to achieve an overview of concepts and is willing to learn by helping to create the mural.

Sachin Perna Sachin is a college student who recently graduated from Columbia Secondary School.

Sachin is pursuing engineering at Drexel University. He has been a proud Harlem resident for 13 years and counting. Sachin joined Creative Art Works to step outside of his comfort zone and to become more creative.

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Nehemiah Hillard Nehemiah is 17 years old and grew up in St. Nicholas Projects.

He just finished his junior year at Cardinal Hayes High School, and is hoping to be accepted to CCNY for Sound engineering.

He has been working for the Children’s Aid Society for 4 years, and this is his first time working for the Creative Art Works program. Before this experience, he was always afraid to stand in front of a group and speak his mind, but thanks to this job he speaks more often.

Chyna Grant Chyna is an eighteen year old from Harlem who graduated from Cathedral High School this past June. Before joining Creative Art Works, she was working at McDonald’s. This program has made Chyna realize her capabilities in art, and she would do it again. At home she loves to draw using different techniques to express herself through her art.

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Fati Salifu Fati is an 18 year old girl from Ghana, West Africa. She lives with her folks in Manhattan and attends The Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, Connecticut. She has no prior experience in mural making, but she is affable, encouraging, gregarious, and she gains so much joy by making her teammates happy and comfortable. This makes her noticeable. Fati has learned to work with different people from different backgrounds. She spends her free time reading inspirational quotes, listening to music and watching movies. She aspires to become a motivational speaker, orthopedic doctor and a fashion model.

Kyaira Tyler Kyaira is a 19 year old girl.

She strives to better her view and insight on art during the summer. Kyaira is a very outstanding employee with great intentions and has potential to be a good leader in the future. Her goal is to teach, and she is willing to help others when needed. She is determined to get things done and is excited to be a part of a group where she is able to learn. Kyaira is now a college freshman and is ready to take on any obstacles that stand in her way.

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Julianna Gomez Julianna is an optimistic and video-game-loving artist. She aspires to promote all kinds of art as authentic and valued styles. Additionally, she is very interested in the earth, from the mixed blues of the ocean, to the vibrant neons that lay against the dark violets of the sky. Astrology is a big part of her life, she takes part in the study of tarot and the arcane forces that drive the world of divinity. She joined Creative Art Works in hopes of creating a positive impact in the world around her and to help her peers better improve their work efficiency by lending a helping hand at any time they need.

Kayden Hamlet Kayden is a 17 year old student from The Bronx. Kayden is an intelligent young man and wanted to work this summer to make money of his own. He is a good artist, though he doesn’t like to draw. He is very hard working when it comes down to business. He joined Creative Art Work’s summer mural program to be productive and be the best man he could be.

He never gives up, no matter what. He cares about progress because he works so hard and wants to be successful in life.

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Mahele Tamanna Mahele is a 16 year old student from Brooklyn. She goes to Brooklyn Tech and is a rising senior. She loves to do art but sometimes it doesn’t turn out how she would like. Mahele uses her spare time to decorate, paint, and watch shows. She joined the Creative Art Works Program to get out of the house after a long, grueling quarantine. She has made some friends here and is eager to be a helping hand. She wants to leave an impactful message for the kids at the school to look up to and the residents at the residential side to be proud of.

David Gomez David is a 19 year old from Coney Island, Brooklyn. He studied illustration and cartooning at Art and Design High School, graduating mid-pandemic in 2020. The worldwide confusion left him unsure of where to go for college, so he joined Creative Art Works to gain experience as an artist and help him decide what field to pursue. He likes animation, cooking, and hiking.

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Teaching Artist Artist Kristy Assistant Victoria Elizabeth Teaching McCarthy Kristy McCarthy is a self-taught painter, muralist, community organizer, and co-founder of the Harlem Art Collective. She is currently based in New York City, where she works as a teaching artist leading youth-led public mural projects. Her personal art practice often questions humans’ relationships with each other and with nature, exploring the concepts of love, exploitation, and interconnectedness. She utilizes art as a powerful tool to build community, raise awareness about social justice issues, and as a personal meditation and therapy.

Follow her @dgaleart.

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Rebecca Jean-Philippe Rebecca is on the path to receive her MFA at Brooklyn College. She received her A.S. in Art and a BFA at Brooklyn College. While completing her undergraduate degree, she worked as a Paraprofessional for NYC public schools. Afterwards, she began an internship at CITYarts Inc and later became a Teaching Artist Assistant for the summer of 2019.

In October 2019, Rebecca joined the CAW team as a TAA and also became an Art Instructor for paint parties. Currently, she is working as a Teaching Artist at the Family Center for Autism. Rebecca’s art uses a whimsical aesthetic to examine the properties of physical reality from a distorted perspective. Her work questions reality, perception, and societal norms to remind the viewer that there can be many ways to see the world.

Madeline Deleon Madeline is a 24 year old artist, born and raised in NYC. She is a recent college graduate, and formerly a Youth Apprentice with CAW. Madeline graduated with honors, receiving Academic Excellence in her major of Animation & Motion Graphics. In the Spring of 2022, she will graduate with her B.F.A. in Digital Arts. As a Teaching Artist Assistant, Madeline strives to inspire those around her, helping them elevate their skills, and build their arsenal.

Madeline is proficient in storytelling through animation, digital art, comic book illustration, film-making and videography. Madeline is known as the metalhead who loves pro wrestling and puns.

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This program was made possible, in part, by public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature, and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, as well as these generous supporters:

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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 35-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 underserved neighborhoods of New York City, in public schools, recreation centers, foster care facilities, parks, juvenile justice settings, and now in the remote environment, CAW provides dynamic creative youth development for those who otherwise lack access. Our programs build confidence, unlock a love of learning, and teach valuable technical and social-emotional skills while creating profound connections between our young constituents, their art and their communities. Students are never charged for participation. www.creativeartworks.org Creative Art Works is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, EIN #13-3638436 Copyright © 2021 Creative Art Works. All rights reserved.

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Creative Art Works is a 501(c)(3), EIN #13-3638436 Copyright © 2021 Creative Art Works. All rights reserved.

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