The Heart of Hustle

THE HEART OF HUSTLE

PUBLIC ART YOUTH EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM 2026 1

Mural Unveiling Real Estate Board of New York 570 Lexington Avenue, 2nd floor New York, NY 10022 Created by Creative Arts Works Youth Apprentices for the Real Estate Board of New York reception hall, this vibrant mural embodies REBNY’s mission of advocating for sensible real estate policies that strengthen communities across all five boroughs. Designed to instill civic pride, the artwork celebrates the rich diversity of New York City by highlighting quiet, everyday moments alongside iconic landmarks from every borough, such as the Queens Unisphere, Coney Island Wonder Wheel, Central Park, the High Line, the Manhattan Bridge, and the High Bridge. Using a palette of warm, natural colors, the artwork transforms the reception entrance into a celebration of the built environment and the shared spaces that connect New Yorkers across every neighborhood.

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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

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Back Row: Evangeline Fazio, Lily Hernandez, Itzel Amastal, Louie Claudio, Alecs Huang, Car Johnson, Alyssa Elliott, Fenny Wang, Kaz Wilks, Mari Gomez, Lindsay Espana, Joel Cepeda.

Middle Row: Becky Schuman, Fariba Abedin, Briana Lopez, Shaianne Ponce, Hazel Gomez,

Front Row: Elma Nusaiba, Farah Mohammad, Micaela Jimenez, Rick Rodas Ochoa, Connie R 4

rlos Quiroz-Rodriguez, Danica Chen, Crystal Chen, Iana Panteleeva, Alison Cazares, Tiffany Mimi Hardman, Rex Kwon.

Ramkissoon.

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FARIBA Fariba Abedin is a Stony Brook University student majoring in computer science from Fresh Meadows, Queens. Fariba loves to explore new places and learn new skills. In her free time, Fariba likes to hang out with her friends, dance, spend time with family, and collect figurines and cards, and has an adorable cat named Sultan. This is her first year working with SYEP and Creative Art Works. Fariba loves working with other artists on her team to get inspiration for the mural and her own art at home.

ALISON Alison Cazares is a rising senior at John Bowne High School from Jamaica, Queens. Her biggest inspirations in art are vibrant colors and nature, specifically beaches and parks, which have been a major part of her childhood summers. She loves collecting trinkets and pretty looking rocks. In her free time Alison enjoys making digital art, cooking and likes to write short stories about her OC’s (original characters). She also loves trying new things and has a bunch of other hobbies.

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ITZEL Itzel Amastal is a 17-year-old graphic designer from Queens, who loves to return to work with Creative Art Works each summer. They were very happy to communicate with kind new friends. This summer, they’re more confident to work with others, and have loved working together as a group.

JOEL Joel Cepeda is an outgoing person who has grown up in Richmond Hill, Queens, where he graduated from Richmond Hill High school and was a former Cadet in the JROTC program. He is continuing his studies at Queensborough Community College, where he is majoring in Architecture. He enjoys talking to people, going outside, painting, drawing, skating, playing games and listening to music. This is his first year working with Creative Art works and he plans on coming back next summer.

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DANICA Danica Chen (she/her) is a rising high school junior from Queens, hoping to become an aerospace engineer. She is a traveler who has been to places like China, Canada, and Japan, and she enjoys singing, dancing, and playing badminton. Some things that motivate her include her family and friends. Danica enjoys being on a mural team with Creative Art Works because she gets to improve her art skills, like watercolor painting.

ALECS Alecs Huang (He/Him) is a rising senior at Forest Hills High School in Rego Park, Queens. He has been drawing semi-frequently since he was 10. He can also play a multitude of instruments including piano, trumpet, and guitar. He enjoys character design and wants to improve his skills. CAW has let Alecs experience many different art mediums that have expanded his horizons.

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Crystal Chen (she/her) is a high school student attending her final year at Maspeth High School, class of 2027. She is Chinese and Malaysian and was born in Elmhurst, Queens.

Crystal likes to draw in her free time, and had a fun time being on the mural team with Creative Art Works because it was an amazing way to spend her summer.

CRYSTAL LOUIE Louie Claudio (He/Him) is a 16 year old who previously lived in New Jersey. He recently moved to Corona, Queens, and attends Flushing High School. He plans to major in engineering, but in his spare time enjoys drawing video game characters and creating pencil and paper art. This is Louie’s first job, and he is enjoying his time at the mural team and making new friends.

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ALYSSA Alyssa Elliott (she/her) is a college graduate who enjoys coming up with wacky ideas and making them into reality. If Alyssa could be described in one word, it would be unpredictable, because she never knows what she will make next. Through mediums such as acrylic painting, drawing, and ceramics, she spends her time exploring different art forms. At Creative Art Works, she has enjoyed sharing her ideas and collaborating with others.

LINDSAY Lindsay Espana (they/them) is a Mexican-Dominican college student and aspiring illustrator from Queens.

Inspired by their childhood, they like to create fun and whimsical illustrations.

They aim to be a children’s book illustrator and be able to teach kids and create art that children connect with creatively.

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EVANGELINE Evangeline Fazio (she/her) is from Queens and is a rising junior in her high school’s Agricultural Program. She enjoys hanging out with friends and being outside in nature, as well as drawing and painting with watercolor. In her free time, she enjoys gothic fashion and music. Evangeline has three cats and one dog, and enjoys hanging with her outside cats in her free time. At Creative Art Works, she enjoyed talking to new people.

Mari Gomez is a rising freshman at John Jay College who hopes to become a crime scene investigator when she is older.

In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her friends and family, exploring new places, and collecting plushies. This summer, as part of the REBNY Creative Art Works team, she and her teammates have created a wonderful mural! Mari is good at providing support and amazing ideas. She was glad that she was part of this fantastic environment and met new people.

MARI

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Hazel Gomez is a 17-year-old character designer from Queens.

This is their first time working with Creative Art Works. They were looking hard for an art job through SYEP, so they were very happy that Creative Art Works hired them. In their free time, Hazel enjoys writing stories, making original characters, and having hour-long calls with their friends.

HAZEL Mimi Hardman (she/her) is an incoming college freshman from Hollis, Queens. She enjoys drawing, swimming and dancing.

Being on the mural team lets her enjoy making new friends as well as providing an exploration of her own skills and new skills she has learned.

MIMI

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LILY

TIFFANY

Lily Hernandez (she/they) is a college student and multidisciplinary artist from Queens. She aspires to create a virtual media for an audience to watch and connect with complex emotions. As an artist, she likes to experiment with her works, while also considering color application and various points of view. In her free time, she takes notes of people’s commentary over video media and writes psychological analysis.

Tiffany Johnson (she/her) is a college student attending Borough of Manhattan Community College. She is interested in learning different ways to create art. She is a former foster youth who experienced many obstacles in her life, and aspires to be the rainbow after the storm.

Tiffany gets her motivation from her son, Amiere. Giving him the life she never had is important to her.

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REX

Rex Kwon (he/him) is an artist who primarily works in photography. Having lived in Queens all his life, he currently attends City College of New York, where he continues to study art. He likes to spend his free time playing guitar, watching movies, and hanging out with friends. Creative Art Works has allowed Rex to meet new faces, create new connections, and find a sense of community.

ELMA

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Elma Nusaiba is a senior at Martin Van Buren High School.

She has a love for the visual arts, which stems from a broken heart. Art eventually became a sanctuary for her where she could be herself.

Elma hopes to be a storyboard artist as a way to combine her interest in filmmaking and visual arts. Creative Art Works gave her the opportunity to have a meaningful summer and work in the field of her passion. She is thankful for the experience and can’t wait to see what the future holds.

Briana Lopez (she/her) is a student from Queens entering her senior year of high school. She is exploring different ways to express her ideas and feelings through art, writing, and photography.

Throughout her time at Creative Art Works, she has improved her artistic abilities such as printmaking and sketching.

BRIANA

IANA Iana Panteleeva (she/her) is a junior in high school and lives in Queens. She is motivated by mental wellness and values positivity. She likes pineapple pizza and enjoys talking to people in the SYEP program at Creative Art Works. She has a cat who is very chubby, but has a soft character.

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SHAIANNE Shaianne Ponce (she/her) is a college student majoring in the fine arts. A Bronx native raised in a Puerto-Rican household, she holds her culture near and dear to her heart and carries it with her in her work. As a fun fact, she believes she will reincarnate as a star in her next life.

CONNIE

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Connie Ramkissoon, freshly 18, is an aspiring artist. Recently graduated and heading to college for psychology, they enjoy spending time with friends, making art, playing games, and having interesting conversations. This is their second year working with CAW, but they weren’t any less nervous to meet their new team. Luckily, their teammates far surpassed their expectations, and they looked forward to getting together every day to piece their mural together. Art as a job is something they’d like to pursue, especially if they can connect it to helping others.

CARLOS Carlos Quiroz-Rodriguez (he/him) is a recent high school graduate from Astoria, Queens with a passion for animal and human health. He explored this passion through his school’s agriculture program, where he spent his time caring for farm animals. He will be attending Hunter College as a nursing major and is serving as a financial ambassador. What he loves most about CAW is meeting new people and learning more about art.

Rick Rodas Ochoa is a 19 year old from Jamaica Queens. He is studying business at City Tech and wishes to pursue a career in marketing. He is excited to see what his future has in store for him.

He loves to travel, explore, and try new things. Coming back to CAW’s Public Art Youth Employment program for a second time was a highlight of his summer and he hopes to explore new ideas and experiences.

RICK 17

KAZ

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Kaz Wilks is an 18 year old aspiring electrical engineer. He views art as a medium that can be implemented into any subject, such as synthesizing music, light installations, and much more. As much as he’s aspired to learn about electrical engineering, he’ll always be an artist at heart. Besides, he has five years of experience working with CAW, including character design internships and the mural he worked on last year. When he’s not drawing or studying, he’s online playing with friends or listening to Tyler, the Creator.

Fenny Wang resides in Flushing, Queens and is about to become a freshman at John Jay College.

She is majoring in Forensic Science in the hope of pursuing a future career as a forensic analyst. In her free time, she loves to make art and hang out with her friends and family. While working with CAW, she enjoys being around other people and exploring different creative insights towards art.

FENNY

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FARAH

TEACHING ARTIST Farah Mohammad 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.

Farah has exhibited at galleries around the country, including a solo exhibition at Nyama Fine Art in NYC in 2022. 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.

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BECKY

TEACHING ARTIST Rebecca (Becky) Schuman is a painter, naturalist, and educator born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland.

She received her bachelor’s degree in studio art and environmental studies from Drew University in 2021. Becky has since worked as a teaching artist for students from preschool to college age, a muralist, theater set-painter, and a nature educator. Outside of painting, she engages in environmental and animal rights activism, and is also an avid bird-watcher. She obtained her MFA in painting at the New York Academy of Art in May of 2026.

MICAELA

TEACHING ARTIST ASSISTANT-IN-TRAINING Queens native Micaela Jimenez joined Creative Art Works for her first summer Public Art Youth Employment season in 2024, working with a team of youth apprentices painting a mural for Queens County Family Court. She has previously worked as a volunteer for Groundswell and as an SYEP intern at Al Oerter Recreation Center in Queens. She has been passionate about art her entire life. Her practice includes digital and traditional illustration, painting, and collage. Micaela is pursuing an undergraduate degree in psychology at Hunter College. In her free time, she caters to the demands of Layla, her Borican mixed-breed dog, and Levi, her American mixed breed dog.

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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 addition 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

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100 W. 33rd Street, Suite 1026 New York, NY 10001 646.424.0392 www.creativeartworks.org Creative Art Works is a 501(c)(3), EIN #13-3638436 Copyright © 2026 Creative Art Works. All rights reserved.

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