Groundswell Community Mural Project Inc

Groundswell brings together artists, youth, and community organizations through our Scaffold Up! collective impact model to use art as a tool for social change. Our projects beautify neighborhoods, engage youth in societal and personal transformation, and give expression to ideas and perspectives that are underrepresented in the public dialogue.

Annually, Groundswell engages more than 750 young people in our afterschool and summer ('Master Studio'), in-school ('School Based'), and community-based ('Community Commissions') programs. Our participants are incredibly joyful, talented, and curious. Demographically, Groundswell's participants identify as: 53% Black, 33% Latino, 5% Asian, 2% Arab, 4% White, and 4% Other. Many do not have access to other art-making programs or college counseling in or after school, have limited exposure to role models, and/or will be a first-generation college student. Some are court-involved, overage/under-credited, or are in foster care or living in a group home, and some were enrolled in high school equivalency programs. Through our programming, Groundswell youth gain exposure to the arts, an outlet for self-expression, structured activities outside of school, and meaningful work experience. College access guidance is integrated into many of our programs, including college-matching, scholarship research, career interviews, and college terminology workshops. Master Studio Programs: Groundswell served 143 young people through our Master Studio programs (afterschool and summer). Youth, primarily ages 14 to 21, were engaged in the research, design, and fabrication of four new works of public art, plus the production of zines, prints, and collages in collaboration with 9 local, professional artists, 14 community partner organizations, and over 430 community members. Through Groundswell, youth used art as a tool for understanding their sense of self, their role as a community member and citizen, and their next steps in life. - Tema (Teen Empowerment Mural Apprenticeship) researched, designed, and installed a mural entitled 'Weighted Wings: A Heroes Journey to Justice' at Brooklyn Justice Initiatives(BJI) in Brooklyn. BJI is a non-profit organization that provides meaningful pretrial supervised release and post-conviction sentencing options for court involved youth. The organization's court-based social workers, case managers, and court liaisons asked Groundswell youth to design a mural that welcomed BJI's visitors to their space. In April 2019, Tema installed a bright, comforting, and inspiring design that exceeded BJI's expectations. - Segue worked with 6 youth over the span of 16 sessions (Thu, 4-6pm) exploring participants understanding & sense of identity in relation to their connection to community, activism, and history. Culminating projects from the program including linoleum prints on multi media forms and zines. - Portfolio Development worked with two groups in FY19: Intro (Wed, 4-6pm) and Advanced (Mon, 4-7pm). The two programs serve youth interested in creating portfolios of their artwork for college and scholarship applications. Each section enrolled 15 and 10 youth, respectively, and met once a week over 20 weeks during 2-3 hour sessions. Youth from these programs applied and later enrolled at their dream schools, including institutions such as The New School and Cooper Union. - Making His'tory and Voices Her'd finished their spring sessions in June (10 sessions each). The Making History program team (20 youth, Thu) decided to explore concepts around political systems, protest movements, and visions for the future. Meanwhile, Voices Herd (19 youth, Fri) explored sacred feminine power and the conditions, historical and present, which undermine or challenge that power. - Summer Leadership Institute: Making His'tory, Voices Her'd, and Artivist Allstars all completed the summer components of their programs in August 2019. Each program translated their research and designs from the spring sessions into cohesive mural designs that were presented to the community partner and the local residents of the mural space. In total, all three murals cover over 6,500 square feet of public space in 3 NYC neighborhoods. - Adulting 101: Responding to the socio-emotional and life skills needs of our program participants, Groundswell introduced the new program Adulting 101 to discuss college planning, financial literacy and other 'life hacks'. The series kicked off with 'What to Consider When Applying.' Many Groundswell youth lack college-counseling services at their own schools, and many would be the first in their families to attend college. Adulting101 facilitators and participants discussed college considerations as cost, environment, code switching, and support structures. These workshops are stand-alone/drop-in opportunities for any interested youth. School-Based Programs: Through our school-based mural residency program, Groundswell creates access to challenging, standards-based visual arts learning for public school students through the research, design, and fabrication of public artworks that will be celebrated by the community for decades to come. In 2019, Groundswell partnered with 23 public schools throughout 4 boroughs to create 27 public art projects (23 murals, 4 mixed media), helping to ensure high-quality visual arts instruction was a significant part of the learning experience for 367 students. These students came from a wide range of ages and grades, from elementary school (4th grade) to high school (12th grade). In total, these collaboratively designed public art pieces cover more than 3279 square feet of wall. Over the span of 35 weeks, students engaged in 435 sessions, totaling 862 hours. Community Commissions Program: Throughout our 22-year history, community groups, nonprofit organizations, and city agencies (such as the Department of Transportation, Department of Corrections, and Office of Health and Wellness) commission Groundswell to facilitate our collaboratively art making process and deepen community bonds. Our community partners ask to collaborate with us because they understand and value how our unique process can help their young people critically analyze issues systems that impact their lives through the arts. Through these initiatives, Groundswell serves around 240 youth each year.