laughing
musicismylife
moneyisnteverything
neverends
loveispowerful
tree of life
what matters
sidewalk writing
mural
Find Your Truth, 6 x 26 feet
This mural was created with twenty diverse youths, ages 7-16 in Peekskill, New York
See this mural on the Park St. Parking Garage across from the C-Town La Placita Market
1137 Main St, Peekskill, NY

Three sessions of chatting, writing and art-making culminating in a collaborative group mural about personal truth.

The first day I invited each child to write a personal story about something that meant something to each of them. The next day, sitting in a circle, the stories where shared with one another bringing out much laughter, surprise and reflection. Afterwards each youth wrote a few words of personal truth from their stories on index cards. On the third day these words were painted with the help of a computer or by hand or a combination of the two. The act of painting the phrases became an act of meditation and further contemplation. The paintings were then photographed and composited into one large image. The final art was printed on a vinyl banner. The public presentation of the banner shows each individual, distinct voice while also exposing the collective spirit of this group. The mural facilitates understanding and inter-connectedness in our community.

Participating Youths:
Row 1: Matthew Guaicha,7; Mark Guaicha, 11; John Tapia, 11; Wendy Rivadeneira, 12; Katherine Lopez, 8; An-Nisaa Patterson, 12; Katherine Damian, 10
Row 2: Jonathan Damian, 8; Carol Pachar, 10; Ivana Gutierrez, 12; Maddy Elam, 8; Deanna Rodricks, 11; Katherine Machizaca, 10; Matthew Elam, 11
Row 3: Jacquelyn Machizaca, 15; Susan Lopez, 10; Tamia Rivadeneira, 9; Brayan Merchan, 9; Odaliz Panza, 11; Jacquelyn Machizaca, 15; Escarle Tapia, 9

More photos of this mural in the making
natural order thumbnail
Natural Order
I explore finding natural order and asymmetrical beauty in what seems chaotic in our environment.
Truth thumbnail
Window Abstraction
These paintings that express the emotional content of my experiences. They tell a story about my life.
And so they swam thumbnail
Beyond the Garden Gate
Pastel paintings for a picture book about going from the smaller world to the larger world.
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Public Art
I bring the arts to everyday people in the form of interactions that are about self-discovery.
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