DNDA 2021 Summer Youth Program Mural Projects

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This summer, as part of the programming for the Summer Youth Program, youth from the High Point, NewHolly, and Rainier Vista neighborhoods had the opportunity to flex their creative muscles by helping design and paint community murals.

In High Point, youth partnered with local artist Amaranta Sandys to paint their local basketball court. This court is the only public basketball court in their community and is a space youth spend a lot of their summers in. Youth helped Amaranta design the centerpiece of the court over the course of three days. The piece is a basketball sun with community hands holding it. A large number of youth and families came out to help us paint this centerpiece. The youth were excited to have ownership of art in their community and remarked on how proud they were of their creation. In partnership with the YMCA the youth participated in a basketball tournament to celebrate the completion of the piece.

Parents and youth painting the basketball court mural in High Point.

Youth playing a half-court came on their recently painted court.

In Rainier Vista, about 30 youth from the neighborhood helped revamp a 2019 street mural at the intersection of S Genesee St and 31st Ave S. DNDA Teaching Artists Jules Hepp and Amanda Jorgenson worked with DNDA SYP and Seattle Housing Authority staff to support the youth in mixing colors and ensuring younger volunteers understood the importance of staying inside the lines for this particular activity! Youth enjoyed having the street closed off for the painting and enjoyed a barbecue lunch courtesy of Chef Mulugeta. Youth commented on how beautiful the street looks again with the fresh paint on the ground and asked if there would be another mural to paint next summer.

Before, during, and after repainting the Rainier Vista street mural

 In the NewHolly neighborhood, youth partnered with local artist Amaranta Sandys to design and paint a new mural for Cafe Red (at the NE corner of Martin Luther King Jr Way S and S Othello St). During three preliminary design meetings, a concept emerged that highlights the process of bringing delicious coffee to us here in Seattle, from the hands that pick coffee beans to those that grind and roast the coffee. The second portion of the mural is a Pacific Northwest inspired nature scene, including animals that the youth drew. Youth painted the mural over the course of two days at the NewHolly Campus Courtyard on 4’x4’ wooden panels. The panels were later installed on the exterior walls of Cafe Red, where they will be enjoyed by the community and many others at the high visibility location next to the Othello Light Rail station. We hope that you come check it out or remember to look over the next time you are riding the Light Rail!

NewHolly youth painting some of the ten (!) panels for the Cafe Red mural

Artist Amaranta Sandys outlining designs and brainstorming mural concepts with some of the NewHolly youth who were involved with this project.

 

Click here to watch our video on this summer’s mural project!