The Portrait Project 2017 by JazminD

THE PORTRAIT PROJECT 2017

The Portrait Project

CONTENTS Foreword iii Acknowledgments v

The Portrait Project

Fatima 2 Kadeja 6 Melissa 10 Malik 14 Mialynn 18 Migel 22 Nicholas 26 Shavonne 30 Tayahna 34 Tishana

Appendix: The Portrait Project Participants 42 B-Roll 44 About Art Start 48

FOREWORD

THE COURAGE TO SEE ONE’S FUTURE | A PROJECT OF FEARLESSNESS “Poetry gives me a chance to make my story alive.” -Shavonne

The French painter Henri Matisse once said that creativity is founded on courage. How do we arrive at this place? More importantly how do children and young people find the strength to begin constructing their own dreams, goals, and ideas of self even when they have been forced to deal with situations that are very hard to understand and beyond their control. It begins with agency and imagination, although many find whatever measure they might have has been dulled or even stamped out by conditions of their lives that they have no control over: homelessness, poverty, neglect, trauma, and even entrenched institutionalized gender and racial inequity. And yet, an optimism reigns. You will see the way children and young people’s spirit of creativity and self-efficacy can emerge phoenix-like from circumstances that seem harrowing or insurmountable, wrought out of tremendous courage and determination. Strong, beautiful, glamorous, artistic, and visionary, these photographs are portraits of heroism, and display a new kind of fearlessness, a beauty that evolves from a place of bravery, love, and creativity. This project, like the ones in previous years, have taken the moment of self-protective ambiguity, self-doubt, of marginalization, and even the cloud of uncertainty, and offered a new world view to each subject. These young people have been handed the tools to fashion their own destinies, and in doing so, created a picture and a perception of self-efficacy and agency in their courageous journey through life. They may finally see themselves for all their potential. As one participant, Tayahna, observed after the shoot: “What I say about my vision of the future is actually becoming a real thing. I can accomplish anything I can set my mind to. It gives me hope, shows me all the possibilities. This has inspired me to believe that I can

iii

actually do it, when you have the opportunities or create your own opportunities, it seems like more than just words.” Dreams, goals, creativity, and ideas function as immensely important forces in transforming lives. What each child chooses for his or herself −even if it is only as a dream for the future − is likely to influence many aspects of their lives, including the development of friendships and familial dynamics, careers, and personal growth. These dreams can be a force for meaningful socio-economic change in individual lives. Art becomes a vehicle for the voice of transformation. In this volume, you will find the stories Cynthia Ceilan has crafted from interviews with the young people who participate in Art Start programs. These narratives of resilience in the face of considerable obstacles allow each young person’s journey, voice, and ideas to shine forth, paired with stunning photographic portraits by Natalie Brasington, Andrew Eccles, Heidi Gutman, Matt Hoyle, David Johnson, Mary Ellen Matthews, Chris Randall, and Zachary Maxwell Stertz. The considerable dedication, commitment, and compassion of all those collaborating with these young creatives continues to astonish and impress, and of course, leave a mark on many a heart. Most significantly, the emergence of a new perception of self-worth and control over one’s own destiny emerges beautifully in this year’s portrait project. The pictures and stories are victories in the face of adversity, and visualization of beautiful dreams and fearless visions. Every reader is sure to find this new portrait series both deeply moving and visually captivating.

Rosa JH Berland Art Historian + Curator, NYC

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS THIS BOOK 100% of the printing of this book was donated to Art Start. We are inspired by the generosity of Canon Printing USA, who made it possible for these images and thoughts to live on in the hands of the dreamers who dared to dream. Book Design: Jazmin Delgado Text: Cynthia Ceilan with Foreword by Rosa JH Berland

PORTRAIT PROJECT ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Art Start thanks the following people for their donation of time, talent, vision, resources, and above all, their commitment to empowering the Art Start youth. PRESENTING SPONSOR Fast Ashleys Studios, Brooklyn, NY

ART START PORTRAIT PROJECT MANAGERS Johanna De Los Santos Hannah Immerman Natalie Brasington Lindsay Tally Jazmin Delgado Nicole Acosta

IMAGE RETOUCHING AND POST PRODUCTION DCOY Studios, Brooklyn, NY

PHOTOGRAPHERS Natalie Brasington Andrew Eccles Heidi Gutman Matt Hoyle David Johnson Mary Ellen Matthews Chris Randall Zachary Maxwell Stertz PHOTO ASSISTANTS Michelle Garcia Nathan Martin JP Herrera Travis Joseph Joshua Elan Victor Prieto Malaie Bonhomme

PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Isaac Murphy

WARDROBE STYLING Kardia Williams Jessica Zindren

PROP STYLING Katherine Hammond

COSTUMES Yon Zweibon, Beyond Costumes

WARDROBE COURTESY OF Mara Hoffman Hyela Makoujy, Schulyer 4, coordinated by Megan Averbuch

HAIR & MAKE-UP Emma Strachman Juliet Gaiser Kim White Alex LaMarsh Marissa Masella Adriana Andaluz

CATERING Cantine NYC Alexandra Sagol

WRITERS Cynthia CeÃlan Rosa JH Berland

BOOK DESIGN Jazmin Delgado

EXHIBITION PRINTING + BOOK PRINTING

VOLUNTEERS Hri Johnson Irene and Ken Brasington Tina Summerlin

CANON PRINTER TECH Angelica Li

BACKPLATE IMAGES iStock

ADDITIONAL TALENT SUPPORTING PHOTO CONCEPTS Ray Hannah Mendez Jazmin Delgado Migos Haynes Nina Meta Kevin Kane Booker Garret Brian Hotaling Lacie Marie Meyers Josh Greenwood J.B. Rote Miguel Solano Chris Veteri

Canon USA

EXHIBITION OPENING Gerstein Fisher

THE PORTRAIT PROJECT

Looking for the Opposites Fatima’s family was not exactly thrilled with her decision to seek her fortune so far away from her California home. Undaunted and unafraid, she packed her bags and let a favorite song from childhood lead the way. The song was “It’s Always Once Upon a Time in New York City” by Huey Lewis and the News. “That sounded good to me,” she says. “So I thought, I’ll go there.” “Once upon a time” is an apt beginning to the story of Fatima’s journey. Her love of books and an understanding of the power of words began in early childhood. Books were the gateway to exploring other worlds and, in a certain sense, provided a way to control them. “You get to decide what the characters look like,” she explains. “Movies don’t let you do that.” She sees a future for herself in which writing is the central focus. Now 20 years of age, Fatima seems to have emerged from adolescence with the dextrous ability to balance a multilayered temperament with grace and aplomb. There’s something of a New York toughness about her that is in harmony with the laidback tempos of her California upbringing. She can tell you a harrowing story with a look of peaceful acceptance in her eyes. The serenity of her smile

belies the audacity of this exploration of darkness. Perhaps it’s no coincidence that she crossed the entire country in search of a new life. Besides the desire to go far away from where she started, she describes her journey as “looking for the opposites.” And the journey is sure to include more longdistance treks, many more once-upon-a-times. “I’ll probably go back to California someday,” she says, “but not to where I’m from.” The two driving forces in Fatima’s life are to be happy, and to be a writer. Of happiness she says, “It’s a lot of pressure on you. I don’t know if you can tell whether you’re really happy or not. It can come and go in waves. To be content is probably better.” As she steps into adulthood, Fatima is looking for the path that will lead her to a career in investigative journalism, an endeavor that appears to fit seamlessly into her desire to explore both the darkness and the light, and then immortalize the experience through the written word. As part of a recent Art Start project, Fatima wrote a letter to her future self. She asked her program instructor to mail it to her in ten years. At the core of the message she sends to her older self is, “I hope you are happy.”

“IT’S GOOD TO FOCUS ON THE MOMENT. THERE’S ONLY SO FAR YOU CAN SEE IN YOUR LIFE. SOMETIMES YOU CAN’T SEE PAST YOUR EYES.”

FATIMA | Andrew Eccles

“YOU HAVE TO SPEAK IT INTO EXISTENCE. YOU HAVE TO ENVISION IT IF YOU WANT TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.”

Giving Back “Not everyone is selfish,” Kadeja says softly. “That’s what I want others to see when they look at me.” Having come from a place where very little was given to her, she has found that the best way to fill that void is to give to others. Kadeja was introduced to us in 2015, at the age of 17. She was living in a transitional independent living shelter where Art Start programs were offered. Her contact with caring people and mentors in the social service field and arts world has inspired her to envision a future for herself that is built around giving back. “I want to start my own nonprofit someday,” she says. “I want to create care packages filled with things that people don’t think about giving, like feminine

care products for young girls and women.” To this end, she plans to study Business Administration and Management. The nonprofit organization she wants to create—the one she is “speaking into existence”—will provide social services and therapy to people who have come from circumstances similar to her own. Kadeja writes a lot of poetry, perhaps as a way to remain connected to the experiences that have brought her to this point in her life. She says that a lot of her writing is about pain, of wanting to be accepted and loved. But she doesn’t write to wallow in that sadness; she uses it as inspiration to keep moving forward. “It’s not about going back to those places or situations, or forgetting where you come from. It’s about knowing that you can make it past this.”

KADEJA | Natalie Brasingtion 9

Memories and Motion For Melissa, a cheery and wonderfully animated 18-year-old, life is about capturing memories and motion. She sees herself traveling to exotic destinations full of stunning visual images—Dubai, belly dancers, the Taj Mahal, stunning waterfalls, people and places bathed in sunset. She wants a life full of busyness: a jam-packed daily schedule, her own hotel full of people in soundproof rooms where they can party to their hearts’ content, a place she has already named The Sways Inn and which will be under continuous expansion and improvement, and—best of all—a home for The Kino Image, the photography and film production company she wants to establish. Melissa talks about The Kino Image as a real thing, a viable business that has already taken root. She talks about it that way because that is how vision become reality. “Kino means ‘cinema’ in German,” she explains. “I only know two words in German, but that is perfect for the name. I added ‘Image’ to make it complete. Cinema is memories in motion.

Photography is motionless memories. The Kino Image does both.” “I have all these ideas,” she says, “I know what I want to do as a photographer. But until I got involved with Art Start, I wasn’t connected to all of the equipment I needed, or the people who could help me get my project off the ground.” She smiles broadly. “I have that now.” The Portrait Project gave Melissa a fully immersive experience of the process of documenting life through photography. This was a transformative experience, from the moment she stepped into the photo shoot studio through the completion of her portrait. “This project motivates me. It makes me want to make all this happen. I can actually see myself in this life now.” Her advice to others—and to herself—is, “Stay where you need to be and don’t fall off track. The future means to come back and fight you, but it’s going to let you live. You just need to not fall off.”

“THE FUTURE MEANS TO COME BACK AND FIGHT YOU, BUT IT’S GOING TO LET YOU LIVE.”

MELISSA | Chris Randall 13

Superstar He enters your life like a warm breeze, with a serene sort of optimism dancing at the edges of a smile in search of a gentle place to alight. At age 16, Malik has seen things and suffered losses that most people can’t begin to imagine. But rather than succumb to despair, disenchantment, self-pity, or indifference, he has learned to turn his experiences into song. The first was entitled, “Feel It in the Air.” He journeys through life and toward his tomorrows as if he were doing exactly that—feeling it in the air. Malik’s early childhood was spent in the care of his grandmother. “When I was born, she said, ‘He’s going to be somebody.’” He relates this with guileless certainty. To Malik, it is a simple truth, not a boast. He emanates a quiet confidence that this is exactly how it will be. Malik lost his primary caretakers—his beloved grandmother and an aunt—at the age of 6. It was a year of losses that would have easily crushed most any adult; for one so young, the impact is nearly unimaginable. The instability that ensued in that year caused by frequent moves and uncertainty led him to trouble at school, and he had to repeat the 1st Grade. To hear him tell it, it was the last time he allowed such a setback to keep him down. “Getting left back made me want to work harder. It made me want to do better. I was determined to never let that

happen again.” He carries that attitude of positivity and persistence to this day. Through his involvement in YO S.O.S. (Youth Organizing to Save Our Streets), Malik is also a peer educator and community organizer on issues related to violence prevention and community building in his Brooklyn neighborhood of Crown Heights. He works with other YO S.O.S. participants to mount public education campaigns to raise awareness of the issue of gun violence and promote healing and social change. Malik became a part of the Art Start family in 2016. “It’s been an amazing year,” he says with wonder. “I’m the first one there, and the last one to leave.” He dreams of becoming a rap star, performing before large audiences. “It might be overwhelming,” he says, “but in a happy way.” With a clear eye on his future, he has learned not forget the past. “I want to look back on this experience and always remember how great it can be.” Only time will tell which bright path Malik will ultimately follow. Will he make the brave and bold choice to move to California to pursue his dreams of stardom? Or will he stay close to home and become a powerful voice of another kind, one of community leadership? Whichever path he chooses, Malik will always be a superstar to us.

“I don’t want people to see me as just a person. I want them to see me as WHO I AM.”

MALIK | Mary Ellen Matthews 17

“I’VE SEEN A LOT OF PEOPLE GET AWAY WITH THINGS THAT THEY’VE DONE.”

Justice Mialynn does not envision a future that is defined by the trappings of flashy Hollywood-style offices. She wants to get the bad guys. She wants to stand up for people who have lived through the pain of violent crimes, as she herself was victimized as a child and adolescent. “I’ve seen a lot of people get away with things that they’ve done. I want to do something about that.” Mialynn’s father passed away when she was 5 years old. It happened shortly before he was scheduled to take the bar exam. Except for a relatively brief stint in North Carolina, Mialynn lived most of her life in Pennsylvania, a place that still feels more like home than any other. A few months ago, at the age of 19, her mother put her on a bus to New York and, with no fanfare or well wishes,

told Mialynn to “go live in a shelter.” Mialynn spent two weeks in a New York City crisis shelter before being referred to Victory House, a Bronx home that offers much more than just a bed to young women under the age of 24. At Victory House, a long-term partner of Art Start, Mialynn receives care and services that are much more appropriate to her age and circumstances. She is receiving job readiness training, and comes to Art Start every week to express herself creatively. They are helping her acquire the independent living skills she’ll need to transition into permanent housing and make it on her own. “I want to go to law school,” Mialynn says. “I’m going to be a prosecutor. I’m going to finish what my father started.”

MIALYNN | Heidi Gutman 21

“THERE’S SO MANY THINGS I WANT TO DO, SO MANY THINGS I CAN DO, SO MANY THINGS I ALREADY KNOW HOW TO DO.”

Me Times Ten There’s no stopping Migos. His vision of his perfect future self is simply, “Me times ten.” He’s already well on his way, and perhaps a bit beyond. At 17, Migos has established himself as a photographer, entrepreneur, rapper, singer, songwriter, dancer, performer, musician, poet, basketball aficionado, salesman, and staffer at a local political office. And he’s just getting started. He has four jobs. He has started two businesses. He is as happy when he’s playing his ukulele as he is proud to represent his Brooklyn community, standing beside New York State Assemblywoman Rodneyse Bichotte and the rest of her staff at a press conference. “I see myself living in a big house someday,” he says, “one with a music studio, and where I can see the sunset from my room. And that when I wake up in the morning, the room is full of light, lots of sunshine, with the wind blowing against the windows. When I get out of bed, I want to put my feet down on a soft, fluffy rug, the kind that gets between your toes. I want a room where I can keep all my instruments, the ones I already play and the ones I want to teach myself to

play. I want to be Me Times Ten.” After a thoughtful pause, he adds quietly, as if making a mental note to himself, “I’m going to need a really big house.” Migos was homeless for a short time last year, when he was a junior in high school. “I have to do something to get money,” he told to himself. That’s when he started his first business: Migos Enterprises. He sold lollipops to his classmates. “They loved my lollipops. Other people were selling candy and chips, but they loved my lollipops.” Through his involvement with the Dida Academy, an organization that offers young people expert guidance for creating their own passion project while building marketable job skills, Migos was inspired to start his second entrepreneurial venture: Blue You, a “singing telegram” business with a twist. “I know how to put people on paper,” he explains. “I can write a special song just for a particular person, and then I deliver it like a telegram. I perform it.” His first customer was a young woman who had not yet found a way to tell her boyfriend that she loved him, so she hired Migos to create a special telegram for him. “They both loved it,” he says happily. It was also

through his mentor at Dida that he was referred to Art Start, where he is now enrolled in the Emerging Artists Program and became involved with the Portrait Project. “I am music,” he says with barely contained passion. “Music is my life.” And then, almost imperceptibly, a shadow crosses his brow. “Music is one of the things that keeps me from breaking down. It keeps me from crying. It keeps me from doing things I might regret—I don’t want to do things I’ll regret.” Then he brightens again. “Music helps me stay Me.” Migos has seen some dark days in his young life. Still, he continually seeks those things that bring light into his life, like his vision of a room in a house filled with sunshine. “People know me for having a positive vibe, always smiling, loyal. I’m just proud that I overcame so many things.”

MIGEL | Matt Hoyle 25

“I WANT TO BE BETTER THAN BASQUIAT. BETTER THAN PICASSO.”

In the Abstract When asked what Nico would say to his younger self, he replies quite simply, “Just let it slide.” He is a young man of few words. He saves it all for the canvas. A self-described abstract artist, Nico began his art education at the age of 8 through a program called Rush Kids at the Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation. His mentor was the organization’s founder Danny Simmons an abstract-expressionist painter who told Nico all those years ago, “You’ve got a gift.” By the time Nico reached middle school, he was attending art classes at the prestigious Pratt Institute. Nico sold his first painting last year, when he and other participants of Art Start’s Emerging Artists Program were invited to submit works for a Habitat for Humanity fundraising auction. The painting was titled “Building a Better New York” and was purchased by the highest bidder for $150.

Nico has recently taken an interest in sculpture. He signed up for a wood shop class, and began working with a Brooklyn Navy Yards based designer to create wood furniture. One of Nico’s first collaborative projects included a long table. Today, he’s beginning to think about creating abstract art in 3-dimensional form using wood, nails, and found objects and is currently building a website to showcase and sell work. Nico’s Portrait Project photo will become part of the collage of works that cover his bedroom walls, a visual history of his life and his own evolution as an artist. He is finishing his high school credentials at the Hudson Guild. After that, Nico hopes to pursue a degree in Fine Arts at La Guardia. “I want to be better than Basquiat, better than Picasso,” he quips with a sly smile. “And if I can’t get my work in galleries, I’ll do tattoos.”

NICHOLAS | David Johnson 29

Out of the Box “It’s hard,” Shavonne will tell you about living life “inside the box,” especially when that box is constructed from misconceptions and negative expectations. When Shavonne was 7, her mother passed away suddenly. Shavonne and her 11-year-old sister were taken in by their aunt. A few years later, Shavonne’s sister had a baby at age 16. The aunt, though well intentioned, often voiced her expectation that Shavonne would “end up the same way.” “I didn’t want that for myself,” Shavonne says with conviction. “I didn’t want to be in that box. You don’t have a teenage life when you have a baby at that age. I’m not that girl.” Shavonne’s ambitions are as varied and as vivid as her enormous spirit. She is a poet in search of a stage, a caretaker of small creatures. “Poetry affects the future,” she says. “It’s a dream. It lets dreams be expressed in real life.” And what she dreams of is graduating from Cornell with a degree in Veterinary Science. While these visions of her future self might seem disconnected, they come from the same

place. “My stories and poems are about love and compassion, understanding. Cats express their feelings through touch and purring; I write stories.” One of the first things you notice about Shavonne is the power of her clear-eyed vision of herself and her future. She has a fearlessness that allows her to see the unvarnished and often difficult truths without losing sight of what is positive and possible. “There’s some hell out there,” she says. “It’s not all bubbles and raindrops. But you have to get through the hell. It is possible to make it through it. I believe that. I know it.” When asked what she imagines what her family will think of her portrait, Shavonne says without hesitation, “They’re going to cry. They’re going to be proud. They’ve never reached out of that box. They’re going to see that I am making it out of the box. I want them to see that I’m actually becoming something.”

“DON’T BE THAT GIRL OR THAT BOY THAT’S GETTING SWEPT AWAY BY THE OCEAN.”

SHAVONNE | Zachary Maxwell Stertz 33

In Control

Her voice is a summer breeze, a quiet whisper that carries with it a wholly unexpected power and strength. Her words evoke the wisdom of ages. The world she seeks to inhabit, create, and transform is at her fingertips. It is all within her reach. Her name is Tayahna. She is 14 years old. And once you’ve met her, you just might find that she is impossible to forget. Tayahna is one of the youngest members of the Emerging Artists Program at Art Start. The program gives her the opportunity to explore some of her many and varied interests in the arts. She is a talented poet, singer, and songwriter in her own right, and relishes the possibility of someday producing for some of the world’s greatest music stars, but it is not because she wishes to shy away from the stage herself. “I am most proud of my performances,” she

says. “Every time I go up, it’s a new Tayahna, a fresh new Tayahna, because the audience is new every time.” She adds, “I realize when I’m up there that I have the power to move people. I have the power to influence and inspire them.” The Portrait Project and her involvement with Art Start has given Tayahna a way to experience one of many possible futures in a tangible way. “You can actually do it when you have the chance to create your own opportunities. This project has made it seem like it’s more than just words or a dream. It’s a process. It’s real.” She looks at the vision of herself in her Portrait Project photo with a certain sense of awe. “This puts me in the future. It’s a great push. I feel more purposeful now. It’s in my hands to make this happen.”

“MY VISION OF THE FUTURE IS BECOMING A REAL THING. IT GIVES ME HOPE. IT SHOWS ME ALL THE POSSIBILITIES.”

TAYAHNA | David Johnson 37

Reaching Out

Tishana loves the two career paths that are beginning to emerge before her. In the one she calls her “idealistic dream,” Tishana is an entrepreneur managing many diverse businesses, including developing and marketing her own line of makeup. The path she refers to as her “realistic dream” stems from her current work as a Youth Facilitator with YO S.O.S, an anti-violence outreach program for young people in Brooklyn. “What I like about the outreach work is that it’s a good way for youth and older people to get together, regardless of age, and solve problems,” she says. Now 19 years old, Tishana attends college while continuing her work as a Youth Facilitator. “I like that they see me as a role model,” she says with a broad smile that nonetheless conveys a genuine sense of humility. “These kids are 14 to 17 years old, and they ask me questions like I’m old!” It is clear that she is aware of the long-term impact her words can have on these kids. They ask her what it’s like to be in college. They confide in her. They look up to her.

Tishana’s “realistic dream” will likely come true in the form of a career in the healing arts. She wants to become a radiologist, or perhaps a sonographer. She is also considering her options as a therapist or social worker specializing in helping teens get through the tough spots in life. For fun and fulfillment of a different kind, Tishana writes poetry. Not surprisingly, her motivation to do so is rooted in her desire to connect to others in a meaningful way. “Poetry lets you put things in a way that other people can relate to,” she explains. Tishana’s dreams—both realistic and idealistic— are linked by the common thread of her deep sense of caring for others. Whether as a poet, an entrepreneur, or a healthcare professional, she seeks out opportunities to relate to people in warm and personal ways, especially during those times when they might be feeling most vulnerable. And in doing so, she creates a healing path for herself: “I want my work to connect to the right side of me.”

“I WANT MY WORK TO CONNECT TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF ME.”

TISHANA | Natalie Brasington 41

APPENDIX: THE PORTRAIT PROJECT PARTICIPANTS FATIMA

Age 19, Bronx Art Start’s Homeless Youth Outreach Program Portrait by Andrew Eccles

Text by Cynthia Ceilan Black and white portrait by Zachary Maxwell Stertz

KADEJA

Age 19, Bronx Art Start’s Homeless Youth Outreach Program Portrait by Natalie Brasington

Text by Cynthia Ceilan Black and white portrait by Natalie Brasington

MELISSA

Age 18, Bronx Art Start’s Emerging Artist Program Portrait by Chris Randall

Text by Cynthia Ceilan Black and white portrait by Zachary Maxwell Stertz

MALIK

Age 16, Brooklyn Art Start’s Emerging Artist Program Portrait by Mary Ellen Matthews

Text by Cynthia Ceilan Black and white portrait by Zachary Maxwell Stertz

MIALYNN

Age 19, Bronx Art Start’s Homeless Youth Outreach Program Portrait by Heidi Gutman

Text by Cynthia Ceilan Black and white portrait by Natalie Brasington

MIGUEL

Age 17, Brooklyn Art Start’s Emerging Artist Program Portrait by Matt Hoyle

Text by Cynthia Ceilan Black and white portrait by Zachary Maxwell Stertz

NICHOLAS

Age 19, Brooklyn Art Start’s Emerging Artist Program Portrait by David Johnson

Text by Cynthia Ceilan Black and white portrait by Zachary Maxwell Stertz

SHAVONNE

Age 18, Brookyln Art Start’s Emerging Artist Program

Portrait by Zachary Maxwell Stertz Text by Cynthia Ceilan Black and white portrait by Zachary Maxwell Stertz

TAYAHNA

Age 14, Brooklyn Art Start’s Emerging Artist Program Portrait by David Johnson

Text by Cynthia Ceilan Black and white portrait by Natalie Brasington

TISHANA

Age 18, Brooklyn Portrait by Natalie Brasington

Text by Cynthia Ceilan Black and white portrait by Zachary Maxwell Stertz

B-ROLL

ABOUT ART START

In the spring of 1991, a handful of artists came together to make art with homeless kids in New York City. Over the next twenty-three years, Art Start has become an award-winning nationally recognized model for using the creative process to save lives and transform communities. Through daily creative arts workshops, Art Start connects with youth who are living in shelters, transient on the streets, involved in the juvenile justice system, navigating teen pregnancy or surviving with parents in crisis. Though they face many obstacles, Art Start youth have dreams that far surpass their circumstances. Art Start provides these kids with opportunities for success by giving them tools, structure, support and most importantly, a chance to be heard. In 1997, Art Start was presented with the President’s Service Award, the nation’s highest honor for community service. Art Start’s success has also received national media attention and has been featured on: The Oprah Winfrey Show, Bravo’s documentary Stories of Arts for Change, a mini-documentary by 2-time Academy Award-winning director Barbara Kopple and the 2003 CBS special, “Fulfilling the Dream.” In 2009, the Sundance Channel debuted The Hip Hop Project, a feature length-documentary about Art Start’s award-winning music program for teens in crisis. Additional features about Art Start have been published in the Daily News, the New York Times, MSNBC’s The Griot, Vogue, Fox 5’s Good Day Street Talk and on radio stations 107.3 Lite FM and National Public Radio.

A note about the type: Avenir, designed by Adrian Frutiger in 1988, was used throughout this book.