PUBLIC ART YOUTH EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM SUMMER 2016
KEEP YOUR FREEDOM CROSSROADS CENTER
PUBLIC ART YOUTH EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM SUMMER 2016 Keep Your Freedom by Creative Youth Leaders August 12th, 5:30 PM Crossroads Center 17 Bristol Street Brooklyn, NY 11212 Alex Seel, Teaching Artist Leah Gooch, Teaching Artist Assistant
About the Mural CAW continues its tradition of bringing youth empowerment and educational transformation through the arts. CAW has collaborated with the NYC Administration for Children’s Services and PAL to provide creative youth development programs to residents of the Horizon Center in the Bronx. The resulting mural is a powerful statement of hope and the power of redemption. www.creativeartworks.org
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FROM BRIAN RICKLIN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR & CEO
Public Art is a Conversation At Creative Art Works, we know the artistic process is a powerful tool for creating meaningful conversation and shared understanding. In light of recent events in the news at home and around the world, the need for common ground among people with diverse backgrounds, experiences, and points of view is ever more present in our minds. This summer, our Youth Apprentices and Teaching Artists worked with Horizon Center staff and with each other to answer the essential question: “What message should our art express?� As they gathered stories bridging generations, languages, cultures, identity markers and social stations, they also wrestled with harder questions about American history, race relations, food scarcity, public health, law enforcement, and the nature of access and opportunity. Some of these conversations were challenging, some were uplifting; in every case they led to a deeper understanding. As our young people developed their mural design, we also witnessed them developing the ability to passionately advocate for their ideas while simultaneously respecting the perspectives of others. Today, we are excited to share with you this youth-generated work, which we believe embodies the spirit of redemption. We hope that this art will continue to encourage robust and fruitful conversations for many years to come.
Join the Conversation!
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Alpha
Gordon
Michah 4
Micheal
Yoni Alex, Teaching Artist
Leah, Teaching Artist Assistant
Angel
Nasir 5
Micheal Micheal is a sixteen year old from Bushwick in Brooklyn, but is currently at Crossroads Juvenile Center. He attended Bryant High School. His parents are from Guyana. This is the first CAW program he has participated in. He plays basketball and wants to go to the NBA or be a lawyer so he can help teens and adults that are unfairly charged with something they did not do. He enjoys watching comedic films.
Gordon Gordon el tienes dies y seis aĂąos. El va a la escuela de Williamsburg Charter High School. El vene Brooklyn. El trabjair en dos programas. Uno es CAW Mural y tambien el projecto de Media. El quieres jugar balenceto y futbol. El tambien quieres musica de rap.
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Demani Demani is fifteen years old and likes to play basketball for fun. He went to Walt Whitman Middle School in Brooklyn. His family is from Jamaica. He wants to study animal psychology. He would like to study the daily routines of animals, because they are interesting.
Alpha Alpha is fifteen years of age. He has been incarcerated for 10 months. He was born in Harlem and was raised in the Bronx. He is African-American and his religion is Islam. He is in the 10th grade and was attending Wingate High school. His favorite subject is math, specifically algebra. His dream is to become an automotive engineer. This is his first mural project.
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Yoni Yoni is fifteen years old and he is from Staten Island. He works with his dad painting apartment interiors. He wants to have a career as a brain surgeon, but he needs to finish high school first, then go to medical school. He is a very hard worker and does not stop until he’s finished. He has been incarcerated for 11 months and he has learned a lot while being in Crossroads. He learned that violence does not always solve problems, and he also learned to stay away from the cops. Yoni realized that education is very important and he earned good grades throughout the whole school year in Crossroads. He graduated middle school as the Valedictorian.
Angel Angel is 14 years old, born and raised in Brooklyn N.Y. Since he was five years old he played football. He dreams of becoming a player in the NFL. Besides football, he has a lot of interests including music, dancing, computer science, and now painting. He never really looked into murals until he joined this program. This is his first CAW Project in and he is enjoying it.
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Chris Chris is 17 yeas old and is from Flatbush, Brooklyn. He plans to attend the High School of Art and Technology in Manhattan. This is the first CAW program he has participated in. His hobbies are dancing, rapping, and watching animal planet. He wants to be a professional rapper or dancer. His favorite quote is one that he heard but cannot remember where; “My hunger is equal to my struggle.�
Nasir Nasir (Nas) was born and raised in the Bronx. He was enrolled in the High School for Law, Government and Justice. He worked on a mural with CAW last year at the Horizon Detention Center. He likes to play basketball and ride dirt bikes. The things that matter to him are his Grandmother, money, and his future goals. He wants to be a marine biologist.
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Micah Micah was born and raised in Brooklyn and goes to Williamsburg Charter Middle School. This is his first CAW program. What matters to him is his family, his hobbies and being outside riding bikes. This mural is important because it’s from the residents’ perspective and it leaves a good message for the residents who will come in the future.
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Alex Seel Born and raised in Long Island, Alex is a New York-based artist, actor, activist and teacher. After studying art in Paris, Alex received his BFA from the School of Visual Arts. In 2014, he was cast as a member of Al Jazeera America’s, “Borderland” docu-series, in which six Americans retrace the footsteps of three illegal immigrants who perished in the desert while crossing the Mexican/American border. Working in both street photography and installation sculpture, Alex has recently been exploring themes of home and diaspora. He travels the streets of New York fearlessly on his skateboard.
Leah Gooch, Teaching Artist Assistant Leah received her BS in Art Education from SUNY New Paltz and MS from CUNY Brooklyn College. In 2008, she moved to New York City to teach art at Ross Global Academy. For the next eight years, she taught throughout NYC elementary schools, using art as a vehicle to teach history and current events, and to enable her students to share their own narratives. She continues to draw and paint the cityscapes in which she lives and travels, and creates abstract expressionist painting as a means to explore her inner world. This is her first mural project with CAW. She looks forward to continuing to help empower teenagers through collaborative projects. 11
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About the Public Art Youth Employment Program
The Creative Art Works Public Art Youth Employment Program gives teens and young adults 14-24 years of age full-time summer jobs and part-time jobs after school to create large-scale public art and multimedia projects. Our Youth Apprentices are guided by professional teaching artists and executive staff from the initial concept development through client presentation, to the final brush stroke and public unveiling. 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) improves the lives of thousands of NYC youth each year through in-school and out-of-school-time classes, community art-making events, and youth employment creating large-scale public art or multimedia projects. Working in public schools, community centers, parks and libraries, CAW provides dynamic arts 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.
www.creativeartworks.org
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This program was 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, as well as by NYC Council members Mark Levine and Melissa Mark-Viverito, and these generous supporters:
Creative Art Works is grateful to www.digitaltouchinc.com for providing discounted printing services and world-class customer service. 15
“This mural is important because it’s from the residents’ perspective and it has a good message for the residents who will come in the future.” - Micah, Crossroads Resident
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