"Gift of Choice" by the South Bronx Artists

PUBLIC ART YOUTH EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM SUMMER 2018

“GIFT OF CHOICE”

BY THE SOUTH BRONX ARTISTS

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PUBLIC ART YOUTH EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM SUMMER 2018 Gift of Choice

by The South Bronx Artists Unveiling Celebration Tuesday, August 7th, 10:30 AM PAL New South Bronx Center 991 Longwood Avenue, Bronx, NY New York, NY 10024 Kristy McCarthy, Teaching Artist Pelumi Adegawa, Teaching Artist Assistant

About the Mural

This summer, Creative Art Works created our sixth mural for PAL and our second at PAL New South Bronx. The 18 Youth Apprentices who designed this mural wish to offer a message of hope and unity to the young people of the South Bronx, and to inspire them to make healthy choices and pursue their passions. The water illy symbolizes resilience and strength, as it gestates in the mud and rises to the top of the pond to bloom as a beautiful flower. As a storm clears behind them, two PAL kids, supported by lily pads, work together to unlock the magic of their potential futures. Each end piece of the mural features a mandala created by one of our young artists. These mandalas incorporate Adinkra and Mayan symbols of unity.

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FROM BRIAN RICKLIN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR The so-called Generation Z has been described as disconnected and pessimistic, but that is certainly not the case with the 150 young people I’ve had the pleasure of working with in this summer’s Public Art Youth Employment Program. Our Youth Apprentices have a sense of purpose and are hungry to do something meaningful.

Inside this brochure, you will meet our future doctors, teachers, entrepreneurs, accountants, scientists, social workers, and inspired artists. Most are still in high school; a few have started college. They have diverse interests that include poetry to politics, carpentry to computers, fashion to finance, and everything else one might find in our diverse city. For some, this was their first job. Many had little to no experience painting or producing a documentary short film. What they had in common was a commitment to creativity and an eagerness to rise to the challenge, making relevant and expressive public art. I am inspired by their remarkable individuality and all the genuine connections they made. I am also blown away by their perseverance.

While their actions and their art speak volumes, I would like to highlight some of their own words, too. Below are a few of my favorite quotes from our summer series of “lightning interviews” (You can find complete versions on our social media outlets and blog): “A friend asked me, ‘Would you rather work hard all summer or would you rather have fun and paint?’ And I said, ‘I think painting sounds hard!’”

– Kimani “I have executives, I have clients, I have people that I have to get approval from... It feels like there are high expectations.”

– Marvin Kimani & Marvin, a creative job is tough – there was a lot of pressure, so congratulations on sticking with it!

“I just want to create something that’s meaningful.”

– Britney

Britney, you certainly did! It’s been a privilege to be witness to yours and all the teams’ creative processes and personal growth.

To all our supporters, thank you for making this possible. And to our readers and especially those in attendance today, thank you for joining in celebration of each and every apprentice and their collective art which is being revealed here today.

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South Bronx Artists Michael Martin Cameiko Hudgins

Kendell Elvin

Kyran Williams

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Lionel Monsanto Dorinda Shaw

Illea Reed

Teaching Artist Kristy McCarthy

Leon Jefferson

Osvaldo Ferraz

Jennifer Sanchez Joannahi Pastora Evelyn Wroten

Breannah Cave

Joslyn Landron

Samiyaa Armour

Teaching Artist Assistant Pelumi Adegawa

Amir Mcculler 5

Breannah Cave Breannah was born and raised in The Bronx. She is sixteen-yearsold, and will be attending 11th grade in the fall. When she graduates, she plans to go to college to get a degree in business. She has always had a passion for art and is excited to be working with Creative Art Works. She hopes to gain a lot from this apprenticeship, and has already learned many new things, such as color theory, gridding, and how to create a visual metaphor.

Dorinda Shaw Dorinda is very open-minded and can do anything that she puts her mind to. This is her first year as an apprentice with Creative Art Works, but she has been with PAL for four years. She studied art previously at Eximius and has been able to utilize a lot of the skills that she learned there during the making of this mural. She likes art and feels that it allows her to express herself through symbolism, because images can have many different meanings.

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Leon Jefferson Leon is a Bronx native, born and raised. Growing up, he was always intrigued by the murals he would see in his neighborhood.

Influenced by this street-style artistry, Leon honed his own art skills by practicing graffiti lettering in art class and on his own bedroom walls. Leon decided to join the Creative Art Works program for his first time because he wanted a new experience and a new way to develop his art skills.

Evelyn Wroten Evelyn is 19-years-old and lives in The Bronx. This is her first time working with Creative Art Works, but it has been a great experience, and she has enjoyed learning new things about art. She is currently attending the GED program at the Children’s Aid Society, and hopes to pursue a career in nursing after she graduates. The best thing about this summer job has been learning new tools that she can use later in life.

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Jennifer Sanchez Jennifer is a 21-year-old from The Bronx. She currently goes to the Bronx Youth Center for her HSE. This is her first year as a Creative Art Works Youth Apprentice.

Coming into this job, she expected to be just painting, but it has been much more than that. She has learned to try new things that she never thought she could do, gained new skills, met new people, and worked as a member of a team.

Amir Mcculler Amir is 21-years-old. This is his first time working with Creative Art Works. He has enjoyed his time here creating a mural for the PAL New South Bronx Center and working with other Youth Apprentices. He is currently enrolled in Hostos College, majoring in digital animation. Amir enjoys video games and mangas, and is a self-proclaimed Otaku. He is also very upbeat and always tries to bring positivity to the team.

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Joannahi Pastora Joannahi is 15-years-old. She was born and raised in The Bronx by her mom and dad. In the fall, she will be a sophmore at the Maxine Greene High School for Arts Imagination and Inquiry. This is her first job and first time with Creative Art Works. She enjoys reading and watching documentaries. In the future she wants to go into the Army. While working with Creative Art Works, she learned how to work as part of a team and how to speak to the community through the arts.

Illea Reed Illea Reed was born and raised in The Bronx. She is a 17-year-old high school graduate and will be attending York College in Queens in the fall. Illea plans on studying and receiving a bachelor’s in clinical laboratory science. In high school she took on programs like painting and visual arts so being a part of Creative Art Works this summer was a perfect fit.

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Joslyn Landron Joslyn is a 17-year-old from The Bronx. This is her first year with Creative Art Works. She loves to paint and draw, so CAW provided an amazing experience for her as an artist and as a person. Working on the mural from beginning to end allowed her to collaborate with new people, step out of her comfort zone, and express herself in fun, creative ways. She is proud of the mural and proud of everyone she worked with to make it.

Kendell Elvin Kendell Elvin is 17-years-old. He was born in The Bronx and grew up in the Forest Projects. He goes to Morris Campus School For Excellence where he is currently in the 11th grade. In the future, he wishes to be a fashion designer and have his own clothing line.

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Samiyaa Armour Samiyaa is a 20-year-old who just graduated from Satellite Academy and is currently attending Empire Cosmetology School in order to get her beautician’s license. She spends a lot of her time practicing makeup looks and watching makeup tutorials for hair and beauty tips. Her long-term goal is to start her own business that will consist of beauty products and other goods. She is a movie fanatic who enjoys sitting down and watching good movies during her free time.

Lionel Monsanto Lionel is a 20-year-old who graduated from the Assembly Applied High School For Math & Science. He has attended college upstate for one year. This is his second mural with Creative Art Works. He previously worked on the 2015 mural on the south wall of PAL Duncan Center in Hell’s Kitchen. This summer work experience has helped him open up and be more creative.

What helped the most with this is adapting to his new friends and environment.

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Osvaldo Ferraz Osvaldo is 23-years-old and graduated from Linden High School in 2014. This is his first year as a Creative Art Works Youth Apprentice, but he has taken art classes in elementary and high school. His long-term goal is to play professional football in the NFL as a wide receiver for The New York Giants.

Michael Martin Michael Martin is 19-years-old and was born and raised in East Harlem. This is his first year with Creative Art Works. He enjoys boxing and earning money. He is very hard-working and adapts easily to new situations.

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Cameiko Hudgins Cameiko is 20-years-old and he grew up in Harlem. He never expected to go on to do art but over the past few years he has developed his illustration skills and has become quite good. This is his first year as a summer youth employee and he has contributed a lot of elements to the first mural design, including one of the two mandalas that were voted in by the team. He enjoys drawing figures and animation.

Kyran Williams Kyran is 18-years-old. He graduated in 2018. This is his first year as a Creative Art Works Youth Apprentice.

He is a great listener and has enjoyed working together with his team. He loves to work with 3D art and aerosol paint. He would like to continue to study art in order to become an art teacher.

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Javier Pantoya Javier is 18 and he is from The Bronx.

This is his first time working with Creative Art Works, but he feels that it is a good program to keep young teens on the right path. The best thing about CAW has been that it has helped him become a better artist.

He loves being an older brother and spends most of his time thinking how can he give his little brothers what he never had.

Naomi King Naomi King is 16-years-old. She lives in Harlem, New York. She loves to draw and help the community. Naomi will be a junior in high school as of the next school year. In the next two years, she hopes to attend college to study pre-med.

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Kristy 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 human’s 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. @dgaleart

Pelumi Adegawa Pelumi is a freelance artist, muralist, and instructor, born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria, currently residing in Brooklyn. After recently attaining her BFA, she was awarded the President Core Value Medallion for her passion for art and involvement in and out of school. She recently traveled to Nigeria to assist in teaching art to young teens while painting murals in her free time. Her current artwork focuses on historical and traditional subjects involving African culture, as well as her Nigerian-American background. She often creates a dialectic between former traditions and contemporary practices. This is her first mural project with Creative Art Works.

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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 premier. 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 32-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 © 2018 Creative Art Works. All rights reserved.

Creative Art Works hires Youth Apprentices directly and as a worksite manager with the NYC Department of Youth and Community Development Summer Youth Employment Program. Programs are implemented in partnership with Catholic Charities of New York Alianza Division, Children’s Aid Society, Inwood Community Services, and Police Athletic League. CAW’s 2018 Public Art Youth Employment Program is made possible, in part, by public funds from the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the New York City Council. Direct support is provided by Brookfield, Crowell & Moring Foundation, RBC Foundation USA, Sherwin Williams, State Street, Structure Tone, and by individual donors.

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GIFT OF CHOICE

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Creative Art Works is a 501(c)(3), EIN #13-3638436 Copyright © 2018 Creative Art Works. All rights reserved.

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