Creative Art Works

The official blog of Creative Art Works #creativeartworks

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Working from Home

A CAW Youth Apprentice is making a difference in the world... Without Leaving his Block

 Every morning, Tyrese Kierstedt walks out the front door of his apartment building, hangs a left, goes twenty feet and arrives at his summer job. Tyrese is one of several Youth Apprentices who are painting Creative Art Works' third mural for West Harlem Group Assistance, a community-based development corporation dedicated to revitalizing West and Central Harlem communities. The mural is located on the northwest corner of 142nd Street and Lenox Avenue, half a block north of Communities for Healthy Food at WHGA, a food pantry that promotes healthy lifestyles and provides related services to Harlem residents.

Tyrese says, "When I first got the email that CAW was offering me a job, I was immediately interested, because I liked the idea of painting a mural, but also because I saw the work site was on 142nd Street, and I live on 142nd. So I called up and asked for the street number, and they told me it's 115, and I said, 'That’s my building!'"

Tyrese may be working on his own block, but he is helping to build ties with his community. 

"So far, it’s been a pretty cool experience. I think the skills I’m learning are going to be useful in the future because I might want to be a mechanical engineer or an architect. Math is my favorite subject, so I did the calculations to scale up the drawing onto the wall. And you gotta be able to draw buildings in architecture or diagrams in engineering. It’s art, but it’s also work experience."  -- Tyrese Kierstedt

Tyrese is a Youth Apprentice in CAW’s Public Art Youth Employment Program, which gives full-time summer jobs to teens and young adults creating large-scale public art or multimedia projects. Youth Apprentices are involved at all stages of the endeavor, from the initial planning to the public unveiling. They gain tangible employment skills, as well as general life skills such as leadership, teamwork, responsibility, and the power of taking initiative.  

"I got to add some images of my own to the design." says Tyrese. "I drew a picture of my niece, Savannah. The drawing came out pretty good, so Beata [Teaching Artist Beata Drozd] felt it should be part of the mural. I just got to meet Savannah for the first time this week, when my brother came up from North Carolina for a visit. She just turned three. I’m pretty sure I’m gonna miss her when she leaves, so it’s going to be nice to have that picture of her to remember her by."

 "I hope our mural will bring people together," says Tyrese, "because it represents community and healthy lifestyles. I think it will add a lot of flavor to the neighborhood." 

Please, join us for the unveiling of this mural!

Tuesday, August 9th 2:00 PM 115 West 142nd Street, NY, NY 10030

A reception with light refreshments to follow.

  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:

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Come See the Magic!

Come See the Magic Happen!

Our 2016 Public Art Youth Employment Program started on July 5th with an orientation at the Oberia D. Dempsey Multi-Service Center in Harlem. Over the course of six weeks, Youth Apprentices will be paid to participate in six mural projects and to contribute to two multi-media or graphics projects at six partner locations. Read on for details about each site. 

We invite you come out to our four public worksites to meet these dynamic young people and to observe their work as it progresses. Youth Apprentices will be working from 9:30 to 4:30, Monday through Thursday, throughout July and the first week of August. We will be holding unveilings during the second week of August. You can read more about these events as the dates draw closer on our social media and here on our blog. We also encourage you to subscribe to our email blast HERE. 

Hamilton Grange Middle School

500 W. 138th Street

Creative Art Works is reinvigorating West 138th street between Hamilton Place and Amsterdam with a new mural connecting the Jacob Schiff school campus with the local community. This new mural will replace CAW’s 2011 mural, Magic with Logic, which was damaged by school construction. This 179-foot mural joins other notable CAW works in Hamilton Heights, including the adjacent Dreams of a Creative Revolution, three murals commissioned by West Harlem Group Assistance, and several works in Riverbank State Park. CAW has been providing arts programs in the school building since 2011, most recently with in-school classes and out-of-school time programming at Hamilton Grange Middle School.

Teaching Artist Lenny Correa is an artist, muralist, curator, and community organizer. He has created numerous works of public art, including the five-story Audubon Mural at the corner of 155th Street and Broadway. Teaching Artist Assistants Becky Hutt and Sophie Mendelson have been assisting Teaching Artist Max Allbee at Hamilton Grange's in-school art class. 

PAL Harlem Center

441 Manhattan Avenue

Our third PAL mural will be painted on the north-facing wall of the adjacent to our 2015 Art of Jazz. The youth-created art conveys PAL’s mission and builds stronger connections to the community. PAL celebrates the power of the arts by partnering with CAW on Saturday workshops for school-age children and by collaborating on juvenile justice programs. 

Teaching Artist and East Harlem Resident Kristy McCarthy is a founding member of the Harlem Art Collective and The Laundromat Project. Teaching Artist Assistant Jenna Kilman is a licensed Art Therapist. This is the first mural project with CAW for both of them. 

  Communities for Healthy Food at West Harlem Group Assistance

500 West 142nd Street

CAW Youth Apprentices are creating our fourth mural for West Harlem Group Assistance on the Northwest corner of 142nd Street and Lenox Avenue, half a block north of Communities for Healthy Food. CAW celebrates WHGA’s commitment to revitalizing communities and affordable housing. This mural will help promote this food pantry and its related services to West Harlem residents. 

Teaching Artist  Beata Drozd has lead Saturday Workshops at PAL Duncan Center, Westside Commons and El Barrio's Artspace PS109. She also developed the Anatomical Illustration Lab at A. Philip Randolph Campus High School. This is Beata's first mural with CAW. Teaching Artist Assistant Karen Zasloff returns to CAW for her second mural project.

    Global Community Charter School

2350 5th Avenue

Global Communities Charter School commissioned Creative Art Works to create a mural that express the themes of unity, diversity, freedom and fun. The progressive school, which recently moved to a new home in a repurposed commercial building, is pleased to engage CAW and local youth to create a mural that will welcome neighborhood children to its diverse student body. 

Teaching Artist Gera Lozano returns to the Youth Employment Program for her fifth mural project. In past years, she has lead teams on Gardens of Steel, Hope Communities, Harlem Sunrise and Art of Jazz. Teaching Artist Assistant Erin Fritts worked at the Saturday Art Workshop at United Palace of Cultural Arts. Teaching Artist Yael Tsoran has worked at our Saturday Workshops PAL Duncan Center, Westside Commons and El Barrio's Artspace PS109. 

Multimedia Team

(Headquartered in Global Community Charter School)

This roving team of photographers, videographers and reporters will be documenting the art-making process and capturing the stories and experiences of all our summer Youth Apprentices. The Multimedia is lead by Teaching Artists Anissa Hanley,  Duron Jackson and Elizabeth Orr. We are happy to have Teaching Fellow Shante Richardson join us from Citizen Schools through AmeriCorp Vista.  We will feature the Multimedia Team in an upcoming blog. 

 Horizon Juvenile Center and Crossroads Juvenile Center

CAW has been contracted by the NYC Administration for Children Services (ACS) to employ Youth Apprentices to create large-scale murals and multimedia collateral for juvenile detainees. Site visits to these secure facilities require advanced approval.

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Creative Art Works was proud to take part in the 5th Annual Harlem Arts Festival last weekend in Marcus Garvey Park. Read all about it in our latest newsletter. Link in our bio. #creativeartworks #harlemartsfest #marcusgarveypark #harlem #arted #walu #mask #antelope #dogon (at Marcus Garvey Park)

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Creative Art Works was proud to take part in the 5th Annual Harlem Arts Festival last weekend in Marcus Garvey Park. The mission of the festival is to support artists, to increase participation and engagement in the arts by the Harlem community, and to make art that preserves the history and identity of Harlem. Teaching Artist Angel Thompson and Teaching Artist Assistant Ayla Rexroth lead a free art-making project that celebrated the deep roots of #African-American art. Angel said, "I was struck by how much time some kids spent with us. Older siblings, cousins and adult family members worked side by side with kids to make their mask a masterpiece. These kinds of collaborations – the cooperation, negotiation and communication that it fosters – are skills that are needed in all aspects of life." Participants of all ages were invited to make their own Walu, or antelope, masks. Walu masks are worn by the #Dogon people of #Mali during ceremonial dances that honor important ancestors. The entire Dogon #community takes part in these events, much as the local community showed up in force to support the Harlem Arts Festival. #creativeartworks #harlemartsfest #marcusgarveypark #harlem #arted #walu #mask #antelope @creativeartworks.nyc (at 馬庫斯·加維公園)

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The Passion of El Barrio

The Passion of El Barrio

Creative Art Works deepens its relationship in a rich & dynamic neighborhood 

Home is where the heart is, and CAW’s heart has been in El Barrio ever since we began offering arts programs there 30 years ago. We are excited to be offering a new art workshop for families with young children at Artspace PS109 every Saturday in February. The program is based on our successful Art Around the World curriculum, in which children first learn about art history and then create their own versions of art works inspired by world cultures. 

During the first session, participants created self-portraits inspired by the works of Mexican artist Fredia Kahlo. In the second session, they made watercolor paintings of their family inspired by the works of Chicana artist Carmen Lomas Garza.

  "I am thankful for programs like this, [other programs are] are so expensive. "  -- Magdalena, Nandi's mother

Teaching Artist, Beata Drozd, who also teaches a CAW Portfolio Prep Class at the nearby Renaissance School for the Arts, finds the Saturday morning classes stimulating. "The kids are very energetic on Saturdays, and I love it, because that’s when creativity shows in their artwork."

Making art can also have therapeutic value. When a discussion about family connections unexpectedly upset some children who were having difficulties at home, Beata and her Teaching Artist Assistants were able to successfully redirect the discussion by encouraging the children to create art about their family.

“The students’ artwork really amazed me,” said Beata. “We need to realize kids go through obstacles and are faced with problems at home. Sometimes art can transcend a child’s life and help them overcome things they might otherwise be afraid to talk about.”

Thanks to CAW’s relationship with the NAEA Student Chapter at Teachers College, we have volunteer teachers assisting Beata at Artspace PS109, such as Vanessa Arnold and Ava Cotlowitz. We look forward to the enthusiastic participation of more Teachers College volunteers during upcoming sessions.

CAW Executive Director, Brian Ricklin says, “El Barrio is where CAW has its roots. While East Harlem remains an under-served community, it’s also culturally rich and dynamic. We are always thrilled to provide programs that connect kids, their art and their unique community. Artspace PS109 is a wonderful venue, and El Barrio's Operation Fight Back is an exciting partner. We look forward to collaborating with them in the years to come.” 

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Keeping a 40,800-Year-Old Tradition Alive

Going Primative

About 40,800 years ago, somebody made a pattern of red dots on the walls of a limestone cave in Northern Spain. It was the first known work of art. The idea quickly spread all over the world until hundreds of caves were decorated with hand prints, magic symbols and hunting tableaus. The most recent examples of this art form were recently discovered in the wilds of Upper Manhattan at Inwood Public Library and United Palace of Cultural Arts. 

Students in our free Saturday arts workshops learned about the history of cave art before drawing and coloring their own primitive designs on sheets of brown butcher paper. All of the completed drawings were then taped together to make a simulated cave that the young artists could crawl through and explore.   

While this may seem like play, (and it certainly is a lot of fun), these young artists are improving their academic and social skills, including, language development, decision making, visual learning, inventiveness and cultural awareness. 

"A growing body of studies, presents compelling evidence connecting student learning in the arts to a wide spectrum of academic and social benefits…. Additionally, research has shown that what students learn in the arts may help them to master other subjects, such as reading, math or social studies."  -- Critical Evidence: How the Arts Benefit Student Achievement by Sandra S. Ruppert, NEA

The Art Around the World program was first developed last summer, when Creative Art Works partnered with the Jewish Community Center of Manhattan (JCC) to provide an integrated art unit at a Math and Literacy Camp at PS 163.

The program is being taught by CAW Teaching Artist Lauren Genutis at the Inwood Library and Angel Thompson at UPCA.

Classes continue though the spring and are free to the public. No advance registration is required. Parents are strongly encouraged to participate, but it is not mandatory.    

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The Serious Art of Stop-Motion Animation

In stop-motion animation, objects are repeatedly moved in small increments and photographed, creating the illusion of movement when a series of shots is played as a continuous sequence. Stop-motion animation has been used to make classic TV shows and movies such as Gumby, Wallace and Grommet and The Nightmare Before Christmas. While the basic technique is easy to learn, the applications are endless. Last fall, Creative Art Works offered two after-school classes that employed different aspects of this simple yet powerful movie-making technique.

At Global Tech Prep, our partner school, CAW Teaching Artist Gabriel Lawrence and Citizen Schools Teaching Assistant Rashi Garfield introduced 6th graders to the three pillars of storytelling – objective, conflict and resolution. Students collaborated in pairs, creating storyboards to plot their narratives, building shoebox dioramas for sets and, finally, animating simple figures.

Students explored a variety of themes and genres. The Adventures of Super Boy tells the story of a hero and a villain who both fall in love with the same girl. In, From a Horrible to a Good Life, a hero must overcome his fears to defeat an evil alien who has invaded his home. The mystery, Attack on the Penguin, deals with mourning and healing after the Penguin Queen is shot by an arrow.

Young filmmakers at our partner Harlem RBI, have also been exploring the versatility of stop-motion animation. CAW Teaching Artist Jason Bell has introduced students to techniques such as white-board animation, paper cut-outs, object animation and a host of in-camera and lighting effects. In addition to learning the principals of clear story-telling and testing the technical aspects of animation, these middle-school auteurs learn teamwork, resourcefulness, and time-management skills. This class will continue through the spring semester.

We are proud to offer a sampling of student work from the Harlem RBI animation class. We hope you enjoy these clips.

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Small Stories about Big Changes

Creative Art Works Gives Middle School Students a Chance to Tell their Own Stories through an After-school Cartooning Class. 

In the space of one year, sixth-graders experience a flood of emotional, social and intellectual changes. These young people need a safe and productive way to talk about what’s going on in their world. In CAW’s Cartooning class at Isaac Newton Middle School, implemented in collaboration with Citizen Schools, Teaching Artist Tom Palmer is providing that outlet by teaching the basics of story telling.

"We start with the classic joke structure, because it is the essence of a story reduced to the fewest steps possible. Think of any four-panel comic strip – the elements are always the same – situation, set-up, surprise and comeback. If you can tell a gag, you can tell a story. A story is like a joke with a much longer setup."  -- CAW Teaching Artist Tom Palmer

The types of stories depend a lot on who the storyteller is. Boys tend to be interested in action, adventure and fantasy, while girls tend to be much more rooted in the real world. For example, Gerard is creating a fictional world filled with all sorts of imaginary creatures. In contrast, girls are more likely to write stories about fitting in or being accepted by the other girls in her school.

Over the past three weeks, students in Tom’s class have become thoroughly engrossed in their work. When the class first started, students tended to be rowdy after a full day of academic work, but now they settle down much more quickly and are more engaged and productive. Tom credits this change in behavior to the inherently interesting nature of the task they are doing.

"Kids at this age want to tell their own stories. This class gives them the skills and the opportunity to do that."  -- Tom Palmer

Every one of our after-school programs ends with a culminating event where the participants display what they have created and talk about it to teachers, peers and family. This is one more opportunity for self-expression and a chance for kids to feel a sense of pride and accomplishment. Our partner at Citizen Schools call these culminating events a “Wow!”

Students in the cartooning class will present bound copies of a comic “zine” containing the stories created by all the participants in the program. We will feature some of our favorite contributions on our blog and other social media platforms. 

As a veteran of the “indy” comic world, Tom has been putting his own thoughts on paper for decades. He is one of nine cartoonists who create the collaborative, all-age, comic book, Cartozia Tales. You can explore this quirky fantasy world at Cartozia.com. Tom publishes under the pen-name Tom Motley.

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There's Still Time to Support Creative Art Works through the GenerosityNYC 5K!

Help Us Reach a Personal Best in the 2015 GenerosityNYC 5K!

The race may be over, but it's not too late to support Creative Art Works through the GenerosityNYC 5K! So far, we have raised over $5,000, but we will continue to accept donations until Sunday, November 22nd by clicking HERE.

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Talk on the Street

Building a Virtual Neighborhood Teaches Young People That Everybody Contributes to a Healthy Community

We often say that Creative Art Works’ programs, “...build confidence, unlock a love of learning, and create profound connections between our young people and their communities.” But how do art and community intersect? Last Saturday, the young participants in our free art workshops at the Inwood Branch of The New York Public Library and the United Palace of Cultural Arts developed a deeper understanding of what it means to be part of a community by taking part in a collaborative art-making project. 

Our new curriculum, Art Around the World, invites students to explore representative works of art from different cultures. Through hands-on projects and related readings, students develop visual literacy and deepen connections between themselves and the world around them.

While each unit works as a stand-alone project, the lessons in the program are designed to build upon each other. In the first two classes, students created their own personal pieces of art, first producing self-portraits, and then their own family portraits. But the third project was different. Just as healthy communities grow from many people working together, the community mural was a collaboration in which each student contributed an image from their neighborhood that was incorporated into a single finished work. 

Paticipants were invited to brainstorm words that describe a healthy community, such as “love,” “family,” “friends,” and “school.” They then wrote out these words and decorated the letters. Next, the young artists illustrated people, places and things that could be seen (or imagined) around their neighborhood. These included buildings, cars, playground equipment, trees, baby strollers, street signs, and assorted animals and people. Finally, all these individual drawings were assembled into one giant illustration that, when combined, expressed the values and ideals of the classroom community and an expansive landscape of the surrounding neighborhood. By creating a virtual community, students came to understand that everybody has a part to play in creating an actual community. 

Classes continue through the winter. Please download and post a flyer for Inwood Public Library in ENGLISH HERE and in SPANISH HERE. For United Palace of Cultural Arts, you can download the flyer in ENGLISH HERE and in SPANISH HERE.

You can read more about this and other Creative Art Works Programs in our most recent newsletter HERE.

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Support CAW in the Generosity NYC 5K Run/Walk

The Generosity NYC 5K Run/Walk will raise funds for Creative Art Works.

Riverside Park on the Upper West Side November 8th, 2015 7:30 AM - Check-in and Warmup 9:00 AM - Starting Gun  

SPONSOR AN INDIVIDUAL OR A TEAM!

You can support the runner or the team of your choice by clicking HERE. Donors can pledge any amount they wish to support a runner. For individual race participants, there is a registration fee of $20 and a minimum raise of $200. For more information, call CAW at [phone] or email [email protected].   

COME RUN WITH US!

You can participate in the race as an individual or join an existing team by going HERE. Click on the CAW logo and then click on the button that says, “register.” Participants will receive free tee shirts, baseball caps and participation medals. CAW staff will be on hand to cheer on the runners. 

SEE THE COURSE MAP HERE

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A Monumental Undertaking.

CAW Teaching Artists and Youth Employees Participate in MonumentArt.

Creative Art Works is proud to participate in MonumentArt, an international mural festival that is bringing together outstanding artists from around the world to simultaneously paint monumental murals in nine public spaces in the South Bronx and Manhattan’s East Harlem/El Barrio neighborhood. Guest Artists include Faith47, El Mac, Sego, Cero, Ever and 2Alas (aka Andrew Antonaccio and Filio Galvez). Read more about the artists HERE. 

CAW participants in MonumentArt include Teaching Artists Gera Lozano, Anissa Hanley, and Sarah Conarro and Youth Employees Ashanti Albert, Oscar Chavez,  Alexandria Fields, Edgar Gonzalez, Brianna Jimenez, Chris Mitchell, and Elsie Vidal.  

CAW Teaching Artists and Youth Employees have been participating in the creation of three MonumentArt murals. Renowned painter, poet and activist Elizam Escobar is painting an interior mural at the Julia de Burgos Latino Cultural Center at 105th Street and Lexington Avenue. Guest Artist Luis Vidal is painting a mural on the corner of 111th Street and 1st Avenue, near the southwest corner of Thomas Jefferson Park. Guest Artist Viajero (aka Adrian Daniel Roman) is creating a mural three stories high on an exterior wall of PS 102/Jacques Cartier Elementary School at 113th Street and 2nd Avenue. The mural, which examines the themes of immigration and community, depicts a young boy in a giant paper boat. 

You can participate directly in the creation of Viajero’s public art project. On Friday, October 9th, from 2:20 to 6:00 PM, PS 102 and CAW will host a community-based art event that explores the subject of migration, movement, passage, and what “home” means. Join us in the West Cafeteria of PS 102 to create and decorate your own paper boat and inscribe it with a personal message. All the boats will be gathered together to represent the many voices of the people who live in the El Barrio Community. Please feel free to download and share a copy of the bilingual invitation to this event HERE.

Video by CAW Multimedia Teaching Artist Anissa Hanley.

CAW Executive Director Brian Ricklin spoke at the kickoff party for Monument Art on October 5th at La Marqueta Retoña in Vendy Plaza. 

"CAW and MonumentArt share a common vision – to connect youth and communities through the transformative power of public art. We are proud to have CAW Teaching Artists and Youth Employees working alongside so many renowned artists. We are grateful for the opportunity to participate in this historic project."  -- CAW Executive Director Brian Ricklin

MonumentArt is presented by La Marqueta Retoña and City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, and sponsored in part by Acacia Networks.

Now, Go See the Art!

We encourage you to visit the MonumentArt murals on Sunday, October 11th. Keep an eye out for CAW staff, Teaching Artists and Youth Employees, who will be touring all the murals. Click HERE for a map of all the murals in El Barrio/East Harlem.

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Whole Foods Supports Creative Art Works on 5% Day

Buy Groceries at Whole Foods on September 16th, and Support Creative Youth Development

On September 16th, Whole Foods will donate 5% of net sales from all their Manhattan and Brooklyn Markets to three nonprofits that provide arts programming to New York City communities. Creative Art Works is honored to be one of those beneficiaries.

  Representatives from Creative Art Works will be at three Whole Foods locations on September 16th - Chelsea, the Upper West Side and the Upper East Side - to share stories about the difference CAW makes in the lives of young people. However, shoppers can visit any NYC Whole Foods Market on September 16th and know that 5% of net sales will go towards promoting community-based arts organizations in New York City.

Visitors to the Upper East Side Whole Foods will be able to see a diptych painted by CAW Youth Employees during a 2013 Public Art Youth Employment Program supported by Whole Foods. These paintings are hung on the second floor above the escalators. The mural illustrates Whole Foods commitment to healthy living.

Locations include: Bowery, Chelsea, Columbus Circle, Midtown East, Tribeca, Union Square, Upper East Side, Upper West Side, and Third and 3rd Brooklyn. To find the Whole Foods market closest to you, CLICK HERE.

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Great Photos and Story by Rahimon Nasa

Coverage of the unveiling of the new mural below the Harlem-125th Street Metro North Station as part of the effort to transform the area into “Uptown Grand Central.” 

The event was attended by City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, City Councilmember Inez Dickens, DOT Urban Design Assistant Commissioner Wendy Feuer, and members of Creative Art Works and the New East Harlem Merchants Association.

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New Artwork Blossoms in Isham Park

NEW ARTWORK BLOSSOMS IN ISHAM PARK

It’s late summer and Isham Park is in full-bloom. The NYC Parks Department recently completed a long-awaited capital project. The Volunteers for Isham Park have been lavishing the paths and gardens with attention, and Creative Art Works has just completed a new mural on the north side of 4970 Broadway that celebrates the diversity of the Inwood community and the beauty of the neighborhood’s green spaces.

The new mural was painted by the "Creative Keepers," a team of CAW all-stars from two Public Art Youth Employment programs that were completed in md-August, one at George Washington High School and the other at Renaissance School of the Arts. The team was lead by CAW Teaching Artist Jocelyn Goode-Morgan and Teaching Artist Assistant Julia Kito-Kirtley. 

This project received tremendous support from local businesses in Inwood. Manuel "Manny" Ramirez allowed the Creative Keepers to use the basement of Dicther Pharmacy as a workspace. Most importantly, Alef Realty Management Company paid to have the wall on the north side of New Edition Cleaners restored in preparation for the mural painting.  

"To be honest, I’m excited that my name will be on it and it’s in my neighborhood. But it’s also great to know that we could build back from what happened a few years ago and create something beautiful."  -- CAW Youth Employee Trevonna "We’re all about empowering New York City youth through art. Through that process, we connect them to their communities and show them that they can have a voice in their communities and influence what happens there."  -- CAW Director of Development Karen Jolicouer

Read more about the history of this mural site in an excellent article by Lindsay Armstrong on DNAinfo.com by clicking HERE. 

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Finding Your Voice

Art Helped me Speak Up of Myself

Most people who pass by our Public Art Youth Employment worksites are nothing short of supportive and encouraging, but on very rare occasions, you encounter a detractor. In this short video, Creative Art Works Youth Apprentice Sophia Ridley shares her story about finding her voice when confronted by an aggressive critic. 

Sophia was one of 15 young people from West Harlem who worked on the outdoor mural, "Melody of Harlem," which was painted for West Harlem Group Assistance at 500 West 141st Street in New York City. 

All our Youth Apprentices must address an audience in two formal settings -- once during the client presentation when they make the case for their design concept, and a second time during the unveiling when they present their finished work to the community. They also interact with interested members of the community and passers by throughout the painting process. These experiences build self-confidence and develop communication skills critical to success in business and academics. 

We would love to hear your thoughts about Sophia's story. Or, if you prefer, tell us about a time that you found the courage to speak up for yourself or deal with a difficult person. Please leave a comment. 

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Shout out to the wall...

THE DEVELOPMENT OF MIND, HEART AND SPIRIT

Horizon Center Juvenile Counselor Jonathan "JD" Davis talks about what young people need to be successful. Interview by CAW Teaching Artist Max Allbee

Jonathan "JD" Davis, a Juvenile Councilor at the Horizon Center in the Bronx talks about the three things young people need to be successful. In his 17 years at the Horizon Center, Jonathan has refined his approach to guiding young people to make better choices, and he articulates it clearly and compellingly in this seven minute clip. 

For six weeks, Creative Art Works, in collaboration with PAL New York has been working with young Residents of the Horizon Center, which is run by the New York City Administration for Children's Services.  on a mural about rehabilitation and hope. CAW Teaching Artist Max Allbee conducted the interview.

The official unveiling of this mural will be Wednesday, August 12th, 5:30 PM. This event is by appointment only. Please call [phone] to make arrangements. 

SHOUT OUT TO THE WALL

CAW Youth Employee Elmo Williams raps about his experience creating a mural at the PAL Harlem Center

Presentation

 By Elmo Williams

 My team pull up on your block skur skur Drawing murals We did it with all types of materials And shout out to the wall cause it got us through my day And man it wasn't easy we ain't have the spray Paint We had a paintbrush water And just us man we was a team For six weeks We was on that wall All different colors Even got paint on the floor Paint warriors We call the shots 119 Manhattan ave that’s where we rock Police athletic league But we ain't cops No we not We paint warriors Like Jay-Z on the rock We striving for tge tgrone Like basqiout on the wall We trynna move the brush And The mural all about jazz and i like that I hope next year New comers don’t resight that I’m gone