The Day Comes to an End, Justice Does Not

THE DAY COMES TO AN END, JUSTICE DOES NOT BRONX COUNTY FAMILY COURT

THE DAY COMES TO AN END, JUSTICE DOES

NOT

Unveiling Celebration

Bronx County Family Court

Wednesday, August 16

1:00 – 2:00 PM

Will Watson, Teaching Artist

Farah Mohammed, Teaching Artist Assistant

Stephanie Diaz, Teaching Artist Assistant-in-Training

About the Mural This mural centers The Bronx County Family Court within the greater Bronx community. It captures the complexity of human emotions in reference to the proceedings and outcomes of The Court, which serves as a mediator in issues that affect the foundation of families. Foundation is often a physical home, but it can be non-material. The figures being comforted in the far left of the painting lay claim to the importance of being heard and validated. Lady Justice in her stature lends an open ear, disregarding appearance in favor of equity. The Courthouse is placed in the center of the painting and provides a bridge between lady justice and the rest of the Bronx community. The Courthouse serves the community with the same principles lady justice upholds: fairness, justice, and equity. Change is present beyond the skylines. Community is cultivated amidst these changes, supporting the helado cart workers, listening to music passed down through generations, swinging underneath trees that grew in conjunction with the construction of apartments. The mural dramatizes many different stages of an individual's journey while going through a court case. It focuses on the opportunity and the hope for better days. The people depicted in this mural are from all walks of life, facing many challenges while also gaining the support they need. At the far right is a mural within the mural with Justice pointing towards the light at the end of the tunnel.

FROM KAREN JOLICOEUR, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Over the course of the past two short months, Creative Art Works has engaged more than 110 youth apprentices in the creation of seven works of public art under the tutelage of phenomenal teaching artists and our dedicated staff. These include murals for three sites in Manhattan, one in the Bronx, and two in Queens, and the installation of an ambitious oral histories project in East Harlem.

It has been a joy to witness the evolution of skills, relationships, and of the artwork itself! From their initial introductions through the development of initial concepts, presentation of designs, subsequent revisions, and ultimate execution, our “YAs” have had a mammoth amount to learn—and to do—in mere weeks. This is especially impressive considering the “firsts”! For most of them, this was their first time working with CAW, and for a third it was their very first job. A surprising number have never dug this deeply into visual art before, or been called on to make a public presentation.

The daunting process demands and develops patience, resilience, and creative problem solving. We are so proud of them coming through with flying colors!

CAW’s relationship with Family Court began in 2011 when a handful of Youth Apprentices made prayer flags for a waiting room for New York County Family Court. This led to three more works of public art at that location, each one more ambitious than the last. In 2018, our Youth Apprentices painted the first of five works of large-scale public art for Bronx County Family Court, including our most recent, “The Day Comes to an End, Justice Does Not.” This year, we provided our first mural for Queens County Family Court.

As with all prior projects for Family Court, our team heard from judges, clerks, and administrators about the important work they do. They have endeavored to respectfully represent the diversity of challenges and joys families experience at the court, as well as the diversity of the people and families themselves, to create a dynamic reflection of Family Court and the people of The Bronx. Our hope is that the artwork uplifts the families who transit these spaces as well as those who work here.

Sincerely,

Karen Jolicoeur Executive Director

Left to right: Red, Vincent Wu , Sulaiman Barrie, Angie Raharijao, Johanna Omesuh, Simpson, Michelle Chen, James Foster, Kiah Codrington, Teaching Artist Will Watson, Rafayet Hossain, Merybeth Nunez, Elijah Sanders, Teaching Artist Assistant Farah

Omesuh, Teaching Artist Assistant-in-Training Stephanie Diaz, Betty Lee, Neron Watson, Raven Garay, Maximiliana McEwen, Elizabeth Park, Shereika Nelson, Farah Mohammad, JJ Rodriguez, Richard Flores.

Sulaiman is a 24-year-old man born in Western Africa and raised in New York City. He is an upper junior at Queens College currently majoring in English and Anthropology. He enjoys reading, writing, and walking. In his free time, Sulaiman is working on his upcoming novel, which is based on the industrial revolution and power conflicts. On occasion Sulaiman challenges himself to finish 1000 page books in one sitting. His current read is The First Law of Trilogy by Joe Abercrombie. Through his work with CAW, Sulaiman wants to expand his creative thinking skills and build work experience that he can apply to jobs that require thinking outside the box. Fun fact, this is Sulaiman’s first job!

Michelle is the oldest of 2, is a hardworking rising junior. With her interest in art and talent for sewing, she wants to pursue a career in the fashion industry. She doesn’t procrastinate, and she makes sure to finish everything needed before relaxing. In person, she may seem shy but online, she’s a completely different person. She has cute aggression when seeing something adorable. Michelle is an active member in her school gardening club, which she enjoys because she can see the plants she planted grow in real time. Through the CAW program, Michelle wishes to expand her social skills alongside gaining work experience.

Sulaiman Barrie

Michelle Chen

Leo is a young student at Manhattan Early College for Advertisement. He is an aspiring digital and visual artist who is inspired by culture, philosophy and the world around him. He is also a huge fan of music, skateboarding, exploring, and traveling. During his time as an artist he has done photography, editing and graphic design both in and out of the work world. He plans to use his experience with Creative Art Works to better adapt to new surroundings, meeting expectations, and pushing the boundaries of his creative capacities.

Kiah is a strong minded 17-yearold African American girl, born and raised in the Bronx. She is currently an upcoming senior at Bronx Theatre High School. After she graduates high school, she wants to study criminal justice law and become a lawyer. In her free time she enjoys cooking and cosmetology. Her favorite meal to cook is spaghetti and meat sauce. Through the CAW summer employment program, Kiah hopes to gain experience working collaboratively in a diverse environment.

Leo Chauvel

Kiah Codrington

Richard was born and raised in the Bronx. He is a junior at In-Tech Academy going into his senior year. He joined CAW hoping to explore new artmaking opportunities and to gain art skills. Working with and getting to know all the other Youth Apprentices has been a wonderful experience for Richard. He aspires to be a videographer in the future.

Raven is an 18-year-old Latin American high school graduate. She is a middle child with two siblings. Her favorite colors are blue and purple. Raven is a huge bookworm and likes listening to music while daydreaming. She also likes to watch true crime and enjoys annoying her little brother. She is currently taking a gap year, and she is using it to gain work experience. Through working with Creative Art Works, Raven is building her social skills and time management.

Richard Flores

Raven Garay

James lives in Brooklyn. He attends Manhattan Early College for Advertising as an upcoming junior. He has employed his art skills in jobs with the student council, a farmers market, and the school’s ReAct competition. Through the Creative Art Works program, he intends to increase his understanding of how to depict the human body and further develop his artistic abilities. In his free time, James enjoys painting, taking care of hamsters, and fantasizing about the future.

Rafayet is the youngest of two and the second-generation child of his family. He is an incoming freshman at Hunter College, where he is majoring in Computer Science. This is his first ever job experience outside of high school, and through his work with CAW, his goal is to step outside his comfort zone with art, while improving his experiences in creativity, cooperation, and teamwork. He hopes to use his newly learned skills in the future, through projects (both personal and academic), in business, and in making changes for pressing issues that affect his community, such as transportation infrastructure. He has many goals in life and is looking forward to accomplishing themto make himself, his parents, and everyone else happier.

Rafayet Hossain

James Tyler Foster

Betty is a young Asian American artist who enjoys drawing their original characters. Betty enjoys doing DIY activities, like building small houses and stitching. She loves going to pop up events and shopping with her friends. In her work with Creative Art Works, Betty wishes to overcome art blocks and rediscover her passion for art.

Shereika is an 18-year-old Jamaican American who currently lives in the Bronx. She grew up in a very cultured home, filled with vibrant food, a loving family, and creative minds. From that home she grew to be a resilient, outspoken, and disciplined person. Shereika is expecting to attend Baruch College in the fall. She wants to major in business or finance to further pursue her interest in bank management.

Through the CAW program, Shereika hopes to gain a better art perspective and obtain working experience alongside other youth.

Shereika Nelson

Betty Lee

Maximiliana (19) is an inquisitive artist currently pursuing their undergraduate degree at Smith College. They are a mixed-media visual artist whose work has been influenced greatly by an array of persons such as: Ursula K. Le Guin, Jennifer Packer, and Hilma af Klint. Art for them is the greatest expression of one’s inner thoughts and feelings. Working with CAW, they are working to further refine their painting skills, and compositional expertise through this summer’s program.

Merybeth Nunez

Merybeth is 16 years old. She was born and raised in Santiago, Dominican Republic, and she migrated to the United States for better education and life opportunities. She is a rising senior at Kingsbridge International High School. In her free time she enjoys playing video games and drawing. Her goal in the CAW program is to try new things and have more close friends.

Maximiliana McEwen

Johanna is a 16 year old who was born and raised in Florida, and now lives in NYC. She is a violist at the Celia Cruz Bronx HS of Music. She has an intense passion for all sorts of arts, including drawings and music. Joining Creative Art Works gave her access to experiences and opportunities that have made for an amazing first job experience.

Angie was born and raised in Madagascar, and she migrated to the Bronx in 2014. She plans on attending CUNY City College to pursue a major in art. Drawing has been such an integral part of her life that it’s hard to pinpoint when exactly she began taking it more seriously. As a fresh high school graduate, the pressure of deciding what field to study in has only intensified for her. Like many others, she isn’t sure what she wants to pursue. Angie’s confusion about her career path stems from her desire to pursue lots of different avenues, such as art, architecture, business, engineering, etc. Until she figures out how to integrate all her interests, she is pursuing what she does best: creating visuals. Angie sees working at CAW as a great step forward in her art journey. This work has given her a taste of what collaborative work in a creative environment looks like while also training her creative brain.

Angie Raharijao

Johanna Omesuh

Elizabeth was raised in New York, and she is currently a college student studying social sciences. Having kept many pets over the years, her love for animals has only grown. She loves to cook and eat food, often searching for a good bite to eat. Elizabeth loves art. She particularly enjoys painting watercolor portraits, and has a disdain for acrylic paints. A fun fact is that she wears every pair of shoes she gets until they’re on their last legs. Elizabeth is enjoying the ability to interact with people and doing art together in this CAW summer program.

Red (he/they) graduated in 2023 from CUNY La Guardia with an Associate’s Degree in Political Science. They are pursuing a master’s in the same subject as well as a bachelor’s degree in fine arts at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. A second generation immigrant, their wish is to eventually work with queer and disabled children in need. In their free time, they enjoy reading and creating art as well as occasionally volunteering in ecological restoration. Through the CAW program, Red wants to gain more relevant art experience with painting for social causes as well as artistic networking.

Red

Elizabeth Park

JJ is an upcoming junior at Urban Academy. After finishing high school, he wishes to pursue paleontology as a career. He loves boxing as well as socializing with people. Furthermore, he is a big fan of video games, hiphop, and other pop-culture based entertainment. Making people laugh is one of his favorite things to do, so he is constantly joking around. However, he is able to apply himself easily when needed.

Overall, JJ is a charismatic kid who is a pleasure to be around. JJ hopes to become an even better drawer during his time working with Creative Art Works.

Neron is a young American artist who hopes to help people explore their full potential through his art. He is inspired by books, cultures, and nature. Outside of creating art, he likes to travel, cook different foods, and play sports. He hopes to one day expand his art into multiple successful businesses. In working with Creative Art Works, he is able to improve his drawing and painting skills through daily artistic exercises and consistent creative feedback.

Neron Simpson

JJ Rodriguez

Elijah is a 16-year-old, born in New York and raised throughout the city. He is a junior in high school. Elijah likes to watch anime and UFC during his free time as well as spending time with his family. His goal through the CAW program is to expand his love for art and creating as well as making a memorable first job experience with new and creative people.

Vincent (born 2007, NYC) attends MECA high school in Manhattan. He is an empathetic and respectful person. Vincent likes to cook; his specialty is fried noodles. Vincent also enjoys drawing. He often draws scenes from video games. His favorite color is blue. He would like to be a chef or something else where he gets to work on the things that he enjoys. During his time at CAW, he has enjoyed taking part in team building activities and values meeting the other youth apprentices.

Vincent Wu

Elijah Sanders

Will Watson, Teaching Artist

Will was born in Indianapolis. He received his MFA from The Maryland Institute College of Art LeRoy E. Hoffberger School of Painting in Baltimore, and his BFA from the Indiana University Purdue University of Indianapolis Herron School of Art and Design 2011. Will has been a keynote speaker for youth and community engagement opportunities with the Reginald F. Lewis Museum, the Maryland State Education Association, the Maryland Institute College of Arts Community Arts Virtual Power Speakers Series, and Stone Quarry Arts Park, in Cazenovia, NY. Will is a Leslie King Hammond Graduate Fellowship recipient and has been featured in select group exhibitions at Sperone Westwater, NY, Black Wall Street, NY, and Pepco Edison Place Gallery in Washington, D.C. Will’s exhibitions include: Ed Vaire Gallery, a solo presentation of the works created during his residency on Governor’s Island, summer 2022, and at the NADA House. He has also inspired future artists by teaching elementary/middle school students in Baltimore City’s Public Schools and young adults in New York City.

Farah Mohammad, Teaching Artist Assistant

Farah is a visual artist and teacher, and former social worker based in NYC. She received her BA from Bennington College and her MFA from Columbia University. She has taught as adjunct faculty at Columbia University’s School of the Arts. In 2020, she partnered with the Alpha Arts Alliance to secure funding from Columbia to teach a six-week arts workshop for NYC schools, called the Drawing Exchange. Her exhibition highlights include International Print Center New York (IPCNY), The Jewish Museum, The Wallach Art Gallery, Field Projects (NYC), and Local Project Art Space (LIC, NY). She was recently the recipient of The Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts Robert Blackburn Printmaking Award (2021), Lucas T. Carlson Grant at Columbia University (2020), and IPCNY’s Coursework Award (2020). Her recent solo exhibition was at Nyama Fine Art in NYC in 2022, and her work has been acquired for the permanent collection by the Baltimore Museum of Art. Farah works in different printmaking techniques to process complex feelings that arise from working with underserved communities and to negotiate her own presence as a Pakistani immigrant in the United States.

Stephanie Diaz, Teaching Artist Assistant-in-Training

Stephanie, otherwise known as Steph, loves to express and embrace not only herself but everything around her through various forms of art, including photography, dance, and painting. Her goal is to inspire others to seek out and pursue their creative side as much as they do with any other aspect of their life. Before becoming a Teaching Artist Assistant, she worked with Creative Art Works on the Montefiore Square mural “Monte de Flores.” She also works with young people on the weekends at her local church, leading them in dances, decorating the classroom for interactive lessons, capturing special events on camera, and more. Steph is currently enrolled in Lehman College, pursuing a bachelor’s in social work. She continues to develop her creative skills while studying towards this career. Steph believes any form of artistic expression can inspire an awakening in people, and she hopes her generation will never let go of their creative instincts as they grow to be adults in a functional society.

About the Public Art Youth Employment Program

Public Art Youth Employment Programs give teens and young adults full-time summer jobs and part-time jobs after school to create large-scale public art and multimedia projects. Youth Apprentices are guided by professional teaching artists from the initial concept development through client presentation, to the final edit and public unveiling or premiere. Along the way, they gain tangible employment and life skills such as leadership, teamwork, responsibility and the power of taking initiative. They are empowered by the enduring accomplishment in their work of art and its positive impact on the community.

About Creative Art Works

Creative Art Works (CAW) is a 37-year-old nonprofit that empowers young people through the visual and multimedia arts. Our programs equip children, teens, and young adults with essential tools and skills; connect them with community, academic success, and career opportunities; and inspire them to reach for new possibilities. Working in underserved neighborhoods of New York City, in public schools, recreation centers, foster care facilities, parks, juvenile justice settings, and in the remote environment, CAW provides dynamic creative youth development for those who otherwise lack access. Our programs build confidence, unlock a love of learning, and teach valuable technical and socialemotional skills while creating profound connections between our young constituents, their art and their communities. www.creativeartworks.org

Creative Art Works’ Public Art Youth Employment program receives support from the Milton & Sally Avery Arts Foundation, the Find Your Light Foundation, The Leroy and Janet Byrne Neiman Foundation, the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, and the Office of the Manhattan Borough President.

Milton & Sally Avery Arts Foundation