In 2009 I started the Youth Mural Arts program as a way to 'give back' all that I've learned as an artist. Since then, as the the founder and director of the program, I have worked with thousands of youth and dozens of artists to make large scale grassroots community engaged public art installations in the Hudson Valley and Catskill regions of NY. These projects not only beautify and energize our public spaces but also give our youth awesome tools for team building, leadership skills and future creative endeavors. The mural will be painted on wood panels and then installed on the exterior facade of the building.

We would like to host a series of six workshops with the youth at the Poughkeepsie Community Center to make a large mural on the exterior of their building that will be shared with thousands of Poughkeepsie residents. The students will learn the power of public art to promote positive change, practice team building exercises, conceptualize and design the mural, learn different techniques to transfer their design, and explore many different techniques for application of paint resulting in a tangible fully fledged work of art.

The Community Center located at 101 Grand Street has a wide range of facilities ranging from a swimming pool to a basket ball court to a dance studio and so much more. There is no current art programming at the center so this project is a perfect fit for the students as well as those served by the facility. The center serves hundreds of at-risk youth as well as many seniors and many other members of the community through a variety of programming and activities.

This project will serve to uplift & engage everyone who comes in contact with it as it will be shared with the entire community for many years to come. http://www.hvcommunitycenter.com/

Our goal is to use this project as a launching pad for a long term art program at the center.

The attached photos are a few examples of past murals, More at the link provided above..