Downtown Brooklyn’s Kings County Family Court had a little more color added to its halls, as young artists from Creative Art Works crafted a bright mural centered around the city's transportation and wildlife.
The young apprentices, aged 16 to 25, worked with two teaching artists, Cass Waters and Natalie Raskin, to sketch, pitch and create the mural.
This week, the nonprofit will unveil six different artworks across the city, with the first one at the Family Court.
“The process was long, fun and at times rather difficult, but we ended up producing something beautiful,” apprentice Nayeli Mendoza said.
Since 1986, CAW has worked with youth to create community engagement through creative expression and academic enrichment.
Through the New York City Summer Youth Employment program, the young apprentices were paid and worked full time for six weeks to make their idea come to life.
But before the mural could be painted, the apprentices had to come up with a pitch and foundation to present to the judges at the court.
To prepare, Waters said, “We just did a lot of brainstorming and idea mapping exercises, so everybody had input."
Since the artwork would be hung above the line of sight, students wanted to focus on large bright details that encapsulated the city’s trains and birds.
“We wanted to promote themes of community, peace, nature and hope,” apprentice Diany Mirabal-Ramirez said.
Many students, however, feared public speaking. Waters and Raskin created games and activities to make the apprentices more comfortable presenting in front of the judges and unveiling the mural.
While preparing, students collaborated with different methods, techniques, materials and watercolors to understand the contrast they wanted the mural to receive.
"Each young apprentice created a unique design, which symbolized Brooklyn, nature and unity,” apprentice Ambrose Medina said.
These designs were small, tile-shaped and used on the outer parts of the mural, while the inside focused on three-dimensionality, molding and natural elements.
After the pitch was approved, the judges noted that they should exclude any sharp lines, people, religious symbols and fighting, to avoid provoking anger through the mural.
“If there’s any opportunity to bring something into family court that can lift the spirit and elevate or raise the experience, we want you to know that's what we did this year," Judge Gilbert A. Taylor said.
After the grand unveiling of the three-piece design, the room roared with applause from fellow CAW members.
“We are so happy to have a partnership with Creative Art Works and build leadership in terms of not just Brooklyn Family Court but with the New York City Family Court and bringing art into our buildings,” Taylor said.
Youth apprentices broke out into dance to celebrate the accomplishment before running out to celebrate the next young artist's work that would be hung up in the city.
Before heading to the next art unveiling, Raskin fondly looked back at her time with the kids. “It's inspiring, it's joyful,” she said. “I learn new things from them every day."
