Echoes of Inwood Oral History Documentary by Creative Art Works

ECHOES OF INWOOD

World Premiere

Thursday, August 15th, 3:30 PM

The Forum at Columbia University

601 W 125th St, New York

Amrita Singh, Teaching Artist

Kevin Claiborne, Teaching Artist

Jonathan Hyman, Teaching Artist

Assistant-in-Training

ABOUT THE DOCUMENTARY

This summer, a team of Creative Art Works Youth Apprentices (YAs) took up residence at Inwood Community Services and began working on an oral history documentary about this small neighborhood at the very northern tip of Manhattan. Inwood, like many other neighborhoods in New York City, is in a state of flux. As our YAs have conducted both formal and on-the-street interviews, they’ve heard the concerns of Inwood residents, which include gentrification, affordable housing, climate change, and a recent rezoning plan. While the film is specifically about Inwood, the themes are universal. The film combines formal studio interviews, informal street interviews, animation, illustration, and photography to weave together the stories of Inwood’s inhabitants from the Lenape people to modern residents and to show that change is the only constant in this vibrant community.

To read more about this documentary and the young people who created it, or to watch the video, check out the Creative Art Works blog at: www.creativeartworks.org/blogpreview/2024/8/8/echoes-of-inwood

FROM KAREN JOLICOEUR, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

This summer, at six different worksites, Creative Art Works is offering 115 young New Yorkers an extraordinary opportunity. Over the course of six demanding weeks, our Youth Apprentices (YAs) are working together to create large-scale works of public art and short documentary films. While some come to us with artistic backgrounds, many do not. Either way, it is a challenge to learn—or hone—their creative skills while building a team, reaching consensus on design choices, and pitching their concepts to clients. The rigorous pace and high expectations invite YAs to rise to the occasion and foster significant personal development.

It is a joy to watch the evolution of their artwork, and even more so the transformation within the Youth Apprentices themselves. Through the mentorship of our talented teaching artists and management staff, they emerge as leaders, become confident presenters, and form meaningful connections as they collaborate with their peers. They also, by the end of the summer, enjoy a well-earned sense of accomplishment when their art is presented or premiered for the public.

Given the prevailing concern for young people in our post-pandemic world, it has been extremely moving to witness the level of deep engagement with, and support for, each other these young adults have demonstrated across all worksites. We work to “set the conditions,” but it’s up to the Youth Apprentices to bring the magic! Consistent themes captured in this year’s murals and films include leadership, change, transformation, and growth—a metaphor for the blossoming we are witnessing in them.

Yours sincerely,

Karen Jolicoeur Executive Director

Chris Brown

Chris Brown, a SUNY Purchase senior and Art & Design High School alum, joins Creative Art Works as a first-time Youth Apprentice. With 12 years of diverse experience—from YouTube skits at 13 to music video production in high school and event photography at Purchase—he now explores creative writing alongside filmmaking. At CAW, Chris thrives on collaboration, valuing solutionoriented teamwork and the power of execution over idea. A centrist worldview shapes his art, aiming to unite diverse perspectives through commonality. His mission is clear: to bridge divides and foster unity in today’s polarized world, using art as a powerful medium for connection and understanding.

Brianna is a 17-year-old from The Bronx who recently graduated from Talent Unlimited High School, which is a performing arts high school. She was there for her talent as a cellist. This is her first time working at Creative Art Works. This job helped her to improve her multimedia skills. She plans on attending Purchase college, as her dream job is to be a visual-effects artist, so majoring in graphic design or communications is what she plans to do. She loves anything that involves being creative, as she loves to find new ways to express herself. In her free time, she enjoys editing, watching movies, making music, and cooking.

Brianna Blyden

John is 17 years old and has recently graduated from Manhattan Center for Science and Mathematics. He is of Ecuadorian descent and was born and raised in East Harlem. John is going to University of Albany, majoring in biochemistry and molecular biology. His hobbies are drawing, video games, and cooking. John is interested in many forms of art, but most interested in pen and paper drawing and photography. This is John’s second year working for Creative Art Works, improving his digital camera skills and team building abilities.

Lucas (AKA Luke) is a senior new media major at SUNY Purchase College. He was born in Midtown Manhattan and raised in The Bronx, currently residing in Co-Op City. Since the beginning of the 2020’s he has established skills in the fields of photography, video art, editing, animating, and even coding to some extent. Luke is one of the returning employees at Creative Art Works. He’s back as a fully grown adult with enhanced editing skills and makes his lively presence even more known than before. Now in the multimedia crew at the Inwood Community Center, it’s safe to say his passion for producing and making more digital content is here to stay this summer.

Lucas Colón

John Cobena

Richard Flores

Richard was born and raised in The Bronx. He recently graduated from high school at IN-Tech Academy and is going into his freshman year at LaGuardia Community College. He joined Creative Art Works hoping to explore new opportunities in multimedia. Richard loved his experience at CAW meeting new people and learning about multimedia.

Amiri is gifted with technology, mass transportation systems, and history. He lives in Wakefield, The Bronx, with his mother and older brother. He attended Democracy Prep Charter High School with a regency diploma and a Cum Laude honor roll. This year he will be beginning his freshman year at Bronx Community College. Amiri has interned at Reelworks and learned filming and acting. He graduated from Reelworks with a Career Discovery Certificate high honor reward. This is his first summer job with Creative Art Works and he feels confident that he will be able to make a difference through his art.

Amiri Francis

Jakilah Greene

Jakilah was born and raised on the uptown side of Harlem. She is the youngest in her family. She graduated from Park East High School in 2018 then went to Buffalo State College where she graduated in May of 2023 with a bachelor’s of science in apparel/fashion textile. She is currently attending CUNY Boricua College studying human services. She has worked with SYEP since she was 14 years old. Prior creative experience includes her high school yearbook, 3D fashion sketches, painting and drawing. Her work experience shows she’s capable and well-connected to the community. She is different because of her aura, not trying to be like anyone else, and because she is not afraid to push herself out of her comfort zone. Always remember the sky is the limit.

Madison was born and raised in The Bronx. As an incoming senior at Talent Unlimited High School, she has studied a variety of modern and classical dance types. Her father exposed her to many different forms of art from photography to the creation of music, which has inspired her to learn new artistic crafts. Thanks to Creative Art Works, Madison has been able to fully experience new creative outlets for herself and is discovering new skills that she can be proud of.

Madison Howard

Trevor is a Junior at Essex Street Academy. He lives in Harlem and is of Chinese and African-American descent. Born and raised in New York, this is his first Creative Art Works job. So far, he is enjoying it. He has previous experience with multimedia. Last summer he attended a twoweek long photography camp at International Center of Photography. Trevor likes his summer job and has made many friends. Trevor spends his free time playing video games, playing sports outside, and hustling. He is pretty good at taking pictures. He is known for being the flyest person in the room.

Alison Martinez is a college senior studying English and Latin American and Caribbean studies at Binghamton University, she was born in Honduras but grew up in The Bronx. This is her second year working for Creative Art Works as well as the second time working with multimedia. She got experience editing photography and videography through the Manhattan Neighborhood Network’s Media education program, a program that was introduced to her during her first summer working at CAW. Working with CAW taught her skills in visual art, interviewing, and exhibition direction. Alison loves being creative and enjoys visual art and music as her preferred leisure activities. She is currently also pursuing education in emergency medical tech, hoping to become a first responder EMT.

Alison Martinez

Trevor Mao

Omar (he/him) is a rising senior attending Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, but has spent all of his life in Harlem. Although he has had experience working on video projects for other jobs and classes, he considers that experience to have only gone over the basics. Working with Creative Art Works for the first time, he was able to step up his skills in camera work and editing to a new level that exceeds his previous projects. He hopes to one day put these new skills and his creativity to use making projects of his own.

Gilson is a rising senior at Pace University. He was born in the New York-Presbyterian Allen Hospital here in Inwood and raised between Inwood, Washington Heights, The Bronx, and Yonkers. This is his first job with Creative Art Works and first multimedia work experience. His hobbies include rock climbing, running, reading, and watching movies.

Omar Martinez

Gilson Melo

The creative team poses at the Columbia University Forum after the world premier Madison Howard, Chidera Okeke, Amiri Francis, Teaching Artist Assistant-in-Training Perdomo, Edward Vest, Jakilah Greene, Brianna Blyden, John Cobena, Anderlys Brown, Alison Martinez.

premier of “Echoes

Standing

of Inwood.”

from left: Teaching Artist Kevin Claiborne, Assistant-in-Training Jonathan Hyman, Lucas Colón, Omar Martinez, Trevor Mao, Jonathan Santos, Teaching Artist Amrita Singh. Kneeling from left: Gilson Melo, Chris

Chidera Okeke

Chidera was born and raised in The Bronx and is a rising junior at the Berkshire School. Having loved art from a young age, she regularly experiments with different mediums. She’s recently begun working in digital art and photography and is highly proficient in Adobe Creative Suite. Chidera is also a stage manager, poster designer, mentor, BSU leader, peer listener, swap shop coordinator, and a sprinter on her school’s track team. She has won awards for both her artistic and literary capabilities and is known for her ambition and creativity. This is her first job at Creative Art Works.

Still image from the film

Jonathan graduated from Binghamton University with a degree in Economics. After over ten years of practicing Capoeira, he gained an appreciation for the art and considered himself a “quiet performer.” Spending many of his days throughout the pandemic watching television shows and movies, he now wants to move in the direction of marketing for television and maybe even producing. Being that this is his first time working in a media space, he’s using his time at Creative Art Works to grow more confident in this area and learn the creative processes of making films.

Jeris is a senior at Manhattan Night and Day High School. He is from Harlem but moved to the Lower East Side of Manhattan at a young age. This is Jeris’s first job and his first time doing multimedia. The best thing about his summer job has been the people that he’s been working with and the things he has been working on. Jeris spends his free time playing games at home or outside with his friends. He enjoys talking about music. Something he thinks about a lot is a way to get rich.

Jeris Powell

Jonathan Perdomo

Anderlys Santos

Anderlys Santos is a student at the Metropolitan Soundview High School. She is an illustrator, best at drawing digitally and painting portraits. Creative Art Works has been a fun experience, and she has learned about filmmaking, camera work, and how to make a good documentary. Anderlys is dedicated to her craft and always tries for it to be perfect. Not to hype her up or bluff, but people say she is really good at what she does. She really hopes one day to become a master illustrator and have her works used for inspiration.

Edward Vest

Edward Vest is a 19-year-old graduate of Harry S. Truman High school and upcoming freshman of Queensborough Community College. Born deaf in the Long Island Jewish Hospital on January 2 during the greatest times, he lives in Manhattan and grew up in Harlem for over seven years. He has experienced SYEP twice before. The first time was also his first ever summer job at Lexington School for the Deaf, coding and game developing in 2021. The second time was working at a garden in 2023. He is a cameraman on weekdays who is good at solving most problems and other mysteries and a good listener.

Kevin Claiborne, Teaching Artist

Kevin is a multidisciplinary conceptual artist whose work examines intersections of identity, social environment, and mental health within the Black American experience. Moving between collage, silkscreen, photography, painting, and sculpture, while frequently using language as material, Kevin is interested in finding new ways to look at history and its connection to the present. His work has been shown in numerous solo and group exhibitions across America and Europe and is in the collections of the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts Museum. He has been the recipient of numerous honors, awards and scholarships, and has taught photography at Columbia University. He holds a BS in mathematics from North Carolina Central University, an MS in higher education from Syracuse University, and an MFA in visual arts from Columbia University. He currently lives in Harlem and spends his free time doing street photography around New York City.

Interview in progress

Amrita Singh, Teaching Artist

Born in India and raised in Chicago, Amrita Singh is a filmmaker and educator currently based in Brooklyn. She graduated from NYU with her MFA in Filmmaking where she later served as Adjunct Faculty. In addition to her roles as a Teaching Artist with Creative Art Works and Assistant Professor in Film and Media Studies at Pace University, Amrita is currently developing her first feature film “Foreign-Returned,” a post-colonial ghost story set in her family’s hometown of Nagercoil, India.

Jonathan Hyman, Teaching Artist Assistant-in-Training

Jonathan is an up-and-coming illustrator and designer who embraces everything with positivity and enthusiasm. Pursuing a BFA in electronic design and multimedia at CUNY City College, he aims to be a well-rounded artist capable of using a variety of mediums to create, from design to illustration, from pencil to paint. Jon has worked on multiple projects with Creative Art Works such as the “Monte De Flores” mural, at Montefiore Square in Hamilton Heights, and “El Barrio Diasporico” Oral History project. This is his second Multimedia project with CAW. He strives to create works that inspire others to take up art and promote creativity. Now as a Teaching Artist Assistant-in-Training, he is embracing his new leadership role and hoping to change the common belief that creativity is a talent that only some are born with, when, in fact, it is a skill that anyone is able to cultivate. He also posts his work on Instagram: @Johnnyhy22

This Inwood Oral History project is made possible with support from CAF Canada. Creative Art Works’ Public Art Youth Employment programs receive support from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, the Office of the Manhattan Borough President, the Find Your Light Foundation, the LeRoy Neiman and Janet Byrne Neiman Foundation, the Ponce de Leon Foundation, the William Talbot Hillman Foundation, and CAF Canada. CAW also receives support from the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.

Creative Art Works is a 501(c)(3), EIN #13-3638436

Creative Art Works

caw4kids

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 38-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. 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. www.creativeartworks.org