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COLORFUL CONNECTIONS: THE ART OF TRANSPORT

Public Art Youth Employment Program, Summer 2026

COLORFUL CONNECTIONS: THE ART OF TRANSPORT Official Mural Unveiling New York Metroplitan Transportation Council Tuesday, August 11, 3:00 p.m. 25 Beaver Street, Suite 201 New York, NY 10004

About the Project

As the metropolitan planning organization for New York City, Long Island, and the lower Hudson Valley, the New York Metropolitan Transportation Council provides a collaborative planning forum to address transportation-related issues, develop regional plans, and make decisions on the use of federal transportation funds. NYMTC invited Creative Art Works to paint a mural in its conference room that captures the color and vitality of the greater NYC metro area and the transportation systems that connect millions of people from the Montauk Lighthouse to the Governor Mario Cuomo Bridge. Many forms of public and private transportation are represented, including subways, commuter rail, buses, taxis, bicycles, skateboards, scooters, pedestrians, and even a baby carriage.

Dani Coca, Teaching Artist Emma Smoluchowski, Teaching Artist Cayden Colorado, Teaching Artist Assistantin-Training

From Executive Director Karen Jolicoeur

Dear Friends, This summer, we are making an investment with the potential to rewrite the future and drive meaningful advances in medicine, science, law, education, culture, and the arts. And while it is next-generation, it is not a new technological breakthrough or AI. It’s NYC’s young people. In only six weeks, more than 125 Creative Art Works youth apprentices painted four large-scale works of public art designed to strengthen community and transform public spaces. They designed a print campaign encouraging civic participation among Gen Z voters. And they produced a photo essay to draw attention to a hidden natural gem on the Harlem River. These were not academic exercises; they were ambitious, public-facing projects created for real clients and communities. Along the way, our youth apprentices gained practical work experience and developed skills that will serve them wherever their paths lead. Our clients gained something equally valuable: bold ideas, authentic youth voices, cultural insight, creative energy, and a willingness to question familiar assumptions. They received thoughtful, tangible assets that help build brands, engage communities, spark conversation, and create a stronger sense of place. Most importantly, they experienced what becomes possible when young people are trusted not merely as participants, but as collaborators and creators. Setting our YAs up for success throughout an intensive and rewarding summer requires the expertise and collaboration of our talented teaching artists, program staff, institutional partners, clients, and the many generous corporate and individual donors who support this program. We are proud to share with you what our young people have made. We hope it inspires you as much as it has inspired us. Yours sincerely,

Karen Jolicoeur Executive Director

JAHEIM Jaheim Banner currently resides in The Bronx, at Seton Avenue. He was born and raised in Jamaica, and attended Excelsior High School. Jaheim graduated from Bronx Alliance Middle School and is currently attending Harry S. Truman High School, moving to the 11th grade in September. This is Jaheim’s first summer with Creative Art Works. He spends his time asleep if he's not gaming or finding something to draw. Jaheim is known within his friend group for his exceptional art. This summer has taught him that it's okay to express yourself and to do art more freely.

ANAIS

Anais Capers lives in The Bronx. She goes to the Manhattan Center for Science and Mathematics, and this is her first year with Creative Art Works. She usually spends her time doing crafts, playing games and sports, or adding to her list of hobbies. She likes to talk about her interests with others to see if they can bond over things they like or love, because she loves making new friends and meeting new people.

AMY

Amy Bobb is a student from The Bronx. She attends The Young Women's Leadership School. She got her first job this summer helping to create this mural with Creative Art Works. She has experience painting with acrylics and watercolors and loves sculpting with clay. Outside of school, Amy likes to spend her time baking, reading, and seeing musicals with her friends. She has received multiple awards in school, including two for excellence in foreign languages and one for best peer assistance. She is glad to be a part of CAW and to have the chance to use her creativity for this mural.

AMARACHI Amarachi Chikezie is a 20-year-old youth apprentice from The Bronx. She’s a rising college junior. This is her first Creative Art Works job, but she has worked on a number of art projects in the past. Amarachi spends her time creating whatever she pleases, but she mostly helps out in her community garden. What Amarachi enjoys most about working with CAW is getting to know new people and collaborating with her peers. She enjoys engaging with her community, and she’s glad she gets to do it while being paid. 5

Daph Espinales-Fernandez is a 19-yearold from The Bronx. Daph studies game design at the University at Albany and minors in art and computer science. They’ve never worked for Creative Art Works prior to this summer but they have experience as a semiprofessional painter, having completed a painting apprenticeship as well as paintings in high schools and other public spaces. In their free time, Daph can often be found drawing in a sketchbook or exploring a new art form or craft, such as charcoal drawing, origami, pastels, and painting. They are happy to have done CAW’s Public Art Youth Employment program this summer, since it’s allowed them to meet new people, practice new art forms, and see different art styles.

VERDIQUE Verdique George is a recent graduate of the High School of Art and Design in The Bronx. This summer marks his first experience with Creative Art Works, where he has developed professional skills while working alongside a diverse team. Verdique is passionate about graphic design, specializing in photo editing, poster design, and clothing mockups. He previously created content for UbuntuHarlem, a community-based online newspaper that highlights local businesses and neighborhood stories. Known for his creativity and strong work ethic, he enjoys transforming ideas into impactful visuals and is committed to building a successful career in graphic design while giving back to his community.

DAPH

JA M ES

James-Tyler Foster lives in Brooklyn, and attends FIT, majoring in illustration. James has worked at Creative Art Works multiple times through internships in the CAW character design program, although this will be his second Summer working with the Public Art Youth Employment program. James dedicates his time to his arts and crafts, enjoying new experiences and different forms of art, such as oil painting, sculpture, game coding, and animation. He is on a journey to create his own stories and hopes to make his own animation. What he loved most during this experience is watching people from all different journeys come together and be able to make a mural, growing closer to each other throughout the weeks working together.

NYUMA Nyuma Gumaneh was born and raised in The Bronx. She enjoys cooking and painting. She also knows how to swim because she learned in summer camp during middle school. She also enjoys shopping. 7

MAVE

Mave Harris is a 21-year-old Brooklyn-born artist. They graduated from Art and Design High School with a focus in graphic design, and are pursuing a degree in design and digital media, with a studio art minor at College of Staten Island. Coming from a family of VFX artists, graffiti artists, and videographers, they’re inspired to work with as many mediums as possible. Their favorite pastimes are digital art and going to concerts, and they’re heavily influenced by NYC’s vivacious metal and punk scene. This is Mave’s first summer with Creative Art Works, where they’ve enjoyed building meaningful friendships and collaborating with fellow artists.

Asa Keita is a rising junior from three of New York City’s boroughs: Manhattan, Brooklyn, and The Bronx. She has attended ten schools and moved five times. Asa is known for her creative nature, positive attitude, and willingness to take alternative approaches to any situation she faces. From crocheting and sewing to painting and drawing, she enjoys dabbling in new hobbies to extend her artistic abilities. With this being her first CAW job, Asa lists this collaborative mural as one of her greatest artistic achievements, along with placing third in the OCANY Hate Crime Prevention Contest.

ASA

NYEISHA Nyeisha Jabbi is starting her first year of college this fall. This is her first time with Creative Art Works, and she’s super excited about it! In her free time, she likes to roller-skate, shop, draw, and read tarot. She also enjoys hanging out with her friends, and making new ones, too!

Nizz Lettman is from East New York, Brooklyn. They recently graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology with a BFA in illustration. This is their first Creative Art Works job, so they were very excited to join the team because anything with paint is always a joy to work with for Nizz. This artist loves to play old DS or indie games. They can be found designing characters in extravagant fashion, collecting Japanese fashion pieces, comic drawing, and storyboarding in their free time. At CAW, Nizz learned the importance of asking questions and loved encouraging their peers to do their best.

NIZZ

Back Row: 1, 2, Jaheim Banner, Alayna Moore, Verdique George, Chidera Okeke, Nick Rams ing Artist Dani Coca, Teaching Artist Emma Smoluchowski

Middle Row: 1, Nyeisha Jabbi, Andrew Skeete, Amy Bobb, Nizz Lettman, Sam Reynoso, Nyum

Front Row: Mave Harris, Cristy Navas, Anais Capers, Nelmy Mirabal Wallace, Amarachi Chike

say, Daph Espinales-Fernandez, Makyle Santos, James-Tyler Foster, Natalia Phillips, Teach-

ma Gumaneh

ezie, Alexa Tlatelpa, Asa Keita

Alayna Moore is from Harlem and goes to school in Spanish Harlem. This is her first year working with Creative Art Works. In school, she plays both the drums and piano. She spends most of her time listening to music and watching anime, and is extremely interested in making her own music and branching out into the music industry.

ALAYNA CHIDERA

Chidera Okeke is a young artist born and raised in The Bronx. She's taking her talents to Tufts University with aspirations to major in architectural studies and human factors psychology. This is her second summer with Creative Art Works, having previously worked on the 2024 multimedia project “Echoes of Inwood” as a director and animator. Her favorite part of working with CAW has been being surrounded by local artists. She's been an artist for her entire life, working with any and all mediums she can get her hands on. Outside of work, you can catch her listening to her favorite artist on repeat, reading, or watching movies.

CRISTY

Cristy Navas is from Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, and is a rising senior at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT). She earned her associate degree in applied science in communication design in 2025 and is pursuing her bachelor's degree in advertising and digital design, expected in May 2027. This is her third summer with Creative Art Works, where she has contributed to two murals and assisted with a printed guidebook project for New York Family Court. She loves traditional and digital illustration, mixing styles, and hopes to become an art director one day. CAW has helped her grow as an artist, build confidence in public speaking, and connect with NYC communities.

A T NA

A I L

Natalia Phillips is a 16-year-old rising junior born in The Bronx. She is passionate about cosmetology, fashion, and design. She spends her free time shopping and participating in her hobbies, which are makeup, decor, and sewing. This is not her first SYEP job, but it is her first time working with Creative Art Works painting a mural. The best thing about her summer job is working on art and learning new techniques and skills. Also, she enjoys connecting with people who have the same interests as her.

NICK

Yannick “Nick” Ramsay’s city of origin is The Bronx, and he is currently a junior at Queens College pursuing a degree in design. This is his first time with Creative Art Works. He has lots of experience in the arts, including branding work, logo design, and commissioned illustration. He also spends his downtime building computers, playing PC games, and creating digital art. The best thing about the summer job for him was making new connections, furthering his career, and gaining the skill to contribute to a mural and thus expanding his resume and portfolio. He hopes this experience will be a good jumping-off point for his future as well.

MAKYLE Makyle Santos was born in Baltimore in 2005, moving to New York when he was 5 years old. He started art in the fourth grade, trying multiple styles and mediums and eventually getting into digital art in 2022. He won two awards in high school at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and a scholarship upon graduating. Overall, he’s a quiet and reserved person around large groups, but he is louder around people he knows and feels comfortable with. He is exceptionally good at making perspective-based art and is excited to be working in the CAW Public Art Youth Employment program.

SAM

Sam Reynoso is a MexicanAmerican artist based in The Bronx. This is their first job with Creative Art Works. They have a B.A. with honors in studio art from City College. They spend their time making art, going to the movies, and listening to music. They are good at printmaking. They love playing video games, going to art museums, and talking about all types of art forms. They are also most known for their artworks. They enjoyed being a part of the Public Art Youth Employment program because they were able to use their art skills to help create a wonderful mural, meet new people, and learn the process behind creating a mural.

ANDREW

Andrew Skeete is a recent college graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in anthropology and a minor in AfroAmerican studies from University of Massachusetts. Between work and continued learning, Andrew spends his free time entrenched in artistry of all forms, including music production and performance, and digital photography. This is his first time working with Creative Art Works.

ALEXA

Alexa Tlatelpa is an artist who grew up in Brooklyn. She creates multiple forms of art, such as digital art, animation, painting, printmaking, character design, mural work, and anything else she is interested in. Outside of her creative space, she adores playing video games, reading, going on walks, getting coffee or tea, and spending quality time with her loved ones. She is also a cat fanatic. When she gets older, she aspires to have her own place to call home, a successful art career, and a life with her pet cat.

T E ACH

TIS

Daniela Coca (Dani) is an American-Bolivian illustrator and arts educator based in Jersey City, NJ. Dani works to deepen connections with her community and actively participates in instructing both children and adults using various art mediums. While she values the improvement of technical skills, she also prioritizes comfort, creativity, fun, and an overall positive atmosphere. Dani primarily creates narrative-based work, focusing on various concepts, visual development, and comics and children's books. In her work, she explores the concept of connection with home, community, and oneself. Much of her work is heavily inspired by cartoons, comics, and her experience as a Bolivian immigrant. Utilizing her culture and interests, Dani has developed numerous styles that have afforded her opportunities to work on published books and product design. She is a member of the "American Bolivian Collective" and is a featured artist in Project Mujeristas's International Colloquium on Femicide in the Americas and Catholic Responses. She holds a BFA in Illustration from Massachusetts College of Art and Design.

NELMY

This is Nelmy Mirabal Wallace. She’s originally from Miami, Florida. She’s also a rising junior at the High School of Fashion Industries. She is Dominican and was raised in The Bronx. This is her first job with Creative Art Works and second job in general. She has some experience in the multimedia world, working on projects in art class. She takes inspiration from different art forms to do her own multimedia art projects. She started writing when she was 11 and, as she was pursuing being an author, she decided to also pursue art to draw and animate her own characters.

TEACH IN G

T AR

IST

EMMA Emma Smoluchowski has over 11 years of experience teaching in NYC public schools. She specializes in both visual arts and creative movement, developing culturally relevant curricula in areas such as printmaking, drawing, collage, and self-portraiture, alongside creative movement classes, samba, and yoga/meditation. Emma firmly believes that growth and learning thrive in a warm, welcoming, safe, and enjoyable setting, and she works hard to foster that space for her students. Emma holds a B.A. from The New School University, Eugene Lang College. Over the years, she has had the privilege of working as a teaching artist with Marquis Studios, the Public Preparatory Network, Brooklyn Botanic Gardens, Urban Arts Partnership, and El Taller Latino Americano. She has extensive experience teaching bilingual (Spanish/English) students and working in District 75 schools. Emma’s visual arts journey led her to work as a studio assistant at Gowanus studio print show and to an artist residency at La Ceiba Gráfica in Veracruz, Mexico, where she continued to focus on printmaking. She also completed a 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training with Abhaya Yoga in 2021, which influences her integrated approach to creative movement and mindfulness in the classroom.

TEACH IN G

Since joining Creative Art Works, Cayden has grown from a youth apprentice to a teaching artist assistant-in-training, where he helps mentor young artists while continuing to develop his own artistic voice. Looking ahead, he plans to pursue a degree in fine arts while continuing to develop his artistic practice. His goal is to create meaningful work that is recognized by his community and beyond, leaving a lasting impact through creativity, connection, and storytelling.

N INI

Cayden Colorado is a 19-year-old multidisciplinary artist from Sparks, Nevada, who now calls New York City home. His work explores identity, resilience, and human connection, drawing inspiration from his personal experiences and the communities around him. Working primarily in pen, Cayden enjoys creating detailed pieces that tell meaningful stories.

A TR

CAYDEN

ASSISTANT IST -IN T AR

About the Public Art Youth Employment Program

Public Art Youth Employment programs provide teens and young adults with apprenticeships creating large-scale public art and multimedia projects. Youth apprentices are guided by our professional teaching artists from the initial concept development and client presentation, through execution to public unveiling or premiere. Along the way, in additon to developing technical art and design skills, 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 is a 40-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 NYC, we provide in-school and out-of-school time classes, creative workforce development programs, and community art-making events, in partnership with public schools, city and state agencies, youth centers, parks, and in juvenile justice settings. Students are never charged for participation, and youth apprentices earn wages. www.creativeartworks.org

SUPPORTERS

Milton & Sally Avery Arts Foundation

Creative Art Works’ Public Art Youth Employment program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council. Creative Art Works’ programming is made possible, in part, by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.

PARTNERS

creative art works

creativeartworks.nyc

caw4kids

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