Cincinnati teens work on beautiful art projects that are “looking good” and doing good!
Some of our Lateenz crew traveled to Cincinnati recently and were blown away by the number of murals and other public artworks in the city — many of which feature images of Hispanic people and themes of diversity, social justice, and resilience! We were even more impressed when we found out that some of these murals were painted by teen artists participating in paid high school visual arts internships through ArtWorks. ArtWorks is a local non-profit that hires “Youth Apprentices” between the ages of 14-21 to work with teaching artists on public art and other community projects in Cincinnati. Check out some of the amazing murals below, then find out more about this internship in our Teen Resources section and on the ArtWorks website.
Connected Through the Generations
This mural was created to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the YWCA Greater Cincinnati. Twelve Youth Apprentices helped paint it under the direction of two of ArtWorks Teaching Artists. According to the Artworks website, the mural “celebrates the YWCA’s mission and legacy to eliminate racism, empower women, and promote peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all. Characters are portrayed working together to pursue a more equitable and just world for the benefit and inclusion of all people. The design nods to the work of women and minority leaders throughout history, and seeks to inspire and empower viewers of all ages, ethnicities, and gender identities, today.”
No Place Like Home
This mural was created in partnership with Tender Mercies, a local organization that provides shelter and services to homeless people who are mentally handicapped. The items in the mural represent objects that help create a feeling of home (and that those of us with secure shelter often take for granted). “The life-sized door in the middle conveys a sense of ‘home,’ . . . and [t]he items that radiate out mimic a mandala—a traditional circular art form that is itself a heartfelt personal journey, with patterns that correlate to parts of the psyche.”
