NEW YORK—A three-part mural project created by teens in a summer arts project was unveiled at Atrium Shops and Cafes on 601 Lexington Avenue on Aug. 13.
Titled “Justice Restored,” the mural is Creative Arts Workshops for Kids (CAW) fourth and largest piece produced by its summer art program in collaboration with the NYC Family Court.
Each piece has its own theme, titled “Ascending to Leadership,” “There is Hope,” and “Balance and Freedom.”
The students worked at Atrium Shops and Cafes to produce the vibrantly-colored mural, which will be moved soon to the NYC Family Court for permanent display. Participant artists received certificates of accomplishment at the unveiling.
Since 2005, the 27-year-old CAW has offered a Summer ArtWorks program, which employs full-time aspiring artists from low-income backgrounds. Teens spend eight weeks working and learning together to create the large-scale public artwork.
Since the program’s beginning, hundreds of aspiring artists have created over 40 community murals and public art projects in East Harlem, Central Harlem, Washington Heights, and Inwood.
Every year, 5,000 kids participate free of charge in CAW’s visual, performing, and multimedia arts programs, which include in-school and out-out-school activities, and full and part time jobs.
