Youth Arts Alliance (YAA) in collaboration with Our House will unveil a mosaic mural at 301 West Michigan Avenue, Ypsilanti on Thursday, May 19th at 6:30pm to celebrate the collective of artists who created a collaborative mosaic mural supported by Generator Z grant.
“Young people made the call for more arts opportunities in Ypsilanti, visioned and designed this project and the youth-driven funding from Generator Z made it possible. The success and impact of the mural is not surprising with so many young leaders behind it. I hope the community comes out to celebrate their tremendous achievement in this public work of art,” states Youth Arts Alliance, Founding Director, Heather Martin.
The mural was created during an 8-week workshop in summer 2021 facilitated by YAA Teaching Artist Gail Christofferson. The young people, families and community members explored the tools, skills and techniques of mosaic-making to create a large-scale collaborative piece for a public installation.
The mural unveiling celebrates one series of workshops of a three part arts programming initiative led by YAA, The Flame. Responding to a call to action from the youth advisory board of Our House and teen artist leaders of Youth Arts Alliance for more opportunities for creativity and healing in the community. The initiative is funded by a youth-driven $33,000 Generator Z grant to create collective mosaic public art, galvanize a personal arts practice, and build on leadership and artistic practices for teen artists impacted by the foster care system. Youth from Our House, families connected to SURE Moms and members from the surrounding community were able to experience this initiative through YAA mosaic workshops, a painted mural workshop in Our House’s residential house for youth exiting the foster care system, and an upcoming workshop this summer focusing on 2D art activities with the goal of building multi-disciplinary works for their portfolios.
Michelle Henke, local young artist, who illustrated the mural design, states, “I wanted vibrant colors, thinking about my experiences with Our House and Youth Arts Alliance. I chose to focus on people, the vibe and interconnectedness of Ypsilanti. It’s really exciting to see this come to life and so many people made it happen.”
The third workshop series of this year-long initiative will empower teens to explore different art mediums to build their 2-D portfolios while exploring career possibilities in the arts.
Youth Arts Alliance uses creativity as a tool to alter potential for those in juvenile detention and treatment facilities by providing safe places for self-expression, collaboration and celebration, profoundly transforming the trajectory of individuals and their impact on society. YAA has served thousands of youth from Southeast Michigan since its founding in 2013.
For media related inquiries, please contact Heather Martin at Heather@youthartsalliance.org or 616-581-4738.