Groundswell Community Mural Project Inc

GROUNDSWELL IS NEW YORK CITY'S LEADING COMMUNITY PUBLIC ART ORGANIZATION, HAVING COMPLETED NEARLY 500 MURALS OVER THE COURSE OF A NEARLY 20-YEAR HISTORY. ANNUALLY, GROUNDSWELL ENGAGES NEARLY 800 UNDERSERVED, MARGINALIZED, AND ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED YOUNG PEOPLE, PRIMARILY AGES 14-24, FROM NEW YORK'S MOST DIVERSE COMMUNITIES, IN OUR PUBLIC ARTMAKING PROGRAMS TO CREATE 50+ ANNUAL PUBLIC ART PROJECTS THAT BEAUTIFY NEIGHBORHOODS, ENGAGE YOUTH IN SOCIETAL AND PERSONAL TRANSFORMATION, AND GIVE EXPRESSION TO IDEAS AND PERSPECTIVES THAT ARE UNDERREPRESENTED IN THE PUBLIC DIALOGUE.

DURING FISCAL YEAR 2023, GROUNDSWELL WORKED WITH 340 YOUTH, 25 PROFESSIONAL TEACHING ARTISTS, AND MULTIPLE COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO COMPLETE 18 COLLABORATIVELY DESIGNED ART PROJECTS, PLUS VARIOUS MULTIMEDIA PROJECTS, IN NUMEROUS NEIGHBORHOODS ACROSS FOUR BOROUGHS. IN FISCAL YEAR 2022, GROUNDSWELL WORKED WITH 384 YOUTH, 19 ARTISTS AND COUNTLESS COMMUNITY PARTNERS, TO COMPLETE 26 COLLABORATIVELY DESIGNED WORKS OF ART, PLUS VARIOUS MULTIMEDIA PROJECTS, IN NUMEROUS NEIGHBORHOODS ACROSS FOUR BOROUGHS. GROUNDSWELL'S STUDIO PROGRAMS (PORTFOLIO DEVELOPMENT (INTRO & ADVANCED), PRINT POWER, DIGITAL JUSTICE, VOICES HER'D, ARTIVIST PATHWAYS, AND THE SUMMER LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE) SERVED 95 YOUTH, WITH GUIDANCE FROM 9 TEACHING ARTISTS, AND IN PARTNERSHIP WITH NUMEROUS COMMUNITY-BASED PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS (SUCH AS TRUST FOR PUBLIC LAND, FOOD BAZAAR GROCERY STORES, AND THE BROOKLYN NETS). MANY YOUTH PARTICIPANTS ENROLLED IN MULTIPLE SEASONS OF GROUNDSWELL PROGRAMS OVER THE COURSE OF THE YEAR. GROUNDSWELL'S SCHOOL-BASED PROGRAMS PARTNERED WITH 14 SCHOOLS TO PROVIDE IN-SCHOOL AND AFTERSCHOOL ARTS PROGRAMS FOR 179 YOUTH GUIDED BY 13 TEACHING ARTISTS. SCHOOLS WERE ABLE TO SELECT FROM A CUSTOMIZED MENU OF PROGRAM OPTIONS FROM GROUNDSWELL. YOUTH ARTWORK EXPLORED A RANGE OF THEMES, SUCH AS: GENDER EQUALITY, LOVE AND ACCEPTANCE, EMPOWERMENT, EDUCATION, CREATIVITY, AND COMMUNITY. IN ADDITION TO GROUNDSWELL'S AFTER-SCHOOL, IN-SCHOOL, AND SUMMER PROGRAMMING, GROUNDSWELL ALSO PRESENTED PUBLIC EVENTS, DIRECTLY SERVING 450+ GROUNDSWELL COMMUNITY MEMBERS. EVENTS INCLUDED: EXHIBITION/PROCESS SHARES LED BY GROUNDSWELL'S YOUTH; TEACHING ARTIST PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SESSIONS; COLLEGE AND CAREER WORKSHOPS (INCLUDING SCHOLARSHIP SUPPORT); SLI AND SCHOOL-BASED MURAL DEDICATION CEREMONIES; AND COMMUNITY PAINT DAYS.