The Banner Project

For those of you who have seen this before, via kickstarter, you might notice the financial goal has been reduced.  This is because we will match funds thru several local grants.  We had 31 sponsors donating $2,200, but sadly all of that was lost because the goal was not achieved in the allotted time.  So here we are, starting over again, grassroots community engaged art at it's finest.  Thank you for supporting this program.

About this project

WHAT WE WANT TO DO:

With budget cuts in schools and lack of art programming, Youth Mural Arts has decided to take the matters into our own hands and MAKE SOMETHING AWESOME HAPPEN. This project will be seen by thousands of people on a daily basis. It will inspire them and engage their minds. It will uplift the spirit of our community and energize our public spaces.

The Youth Mural Arts program goal is to build community thru the arts. This project will bring together eight artists and over 350 youth to create a large scale community engaged art installation in the arts district of Peekskill, NY.

The Youth Mural Arts project is a grass roots program run by #powerartist Kelli Bickman (click here for bio). Last year the program saw the creation and installation of an 8' x 22' mural on the side of the City of Peekskill Youth Bureau. The program was a huge success and inspired over 30 youth by giving them a strong voice that will be shared with their community for many years to come. Photos of the mural in progress here.

HOW WE PLAN TO DO IT:

This year, Bickman has expanded the program by bringing in other talented Hudson Valley artists and more youth groups. Weekly workshops will begin in March with completion and installation in July of 2011. Photos of the inspiration for this project here: http://kellibickman.net/2011/01/artswestchester-grant-awarded-to-yma/

The youth groups will meet with a selected professional artist to study the artists/artwork to be exhibited at the Hudson Valley Center for Contemporary Art titled "c. 1986." Participants will select one artist that inspires them and create a 4' x 12' (or bigger) banner based on this masters work. Extensive brainstorming sessions and sketches will be made before actual painting will begin. Several transfer methods will also be taught including projection, free hand, cartoon and the grid system. Students will also learn several different techniques for application of paint and process.

All of the banners will then be installed to form a tapestry in downtown Peekskill, NY.

ArtsWestchester ( http://artswestchester.org) has awarded the Youth Mural Arts program with an ArtsAlive grant to kick off the "Banner Project" with the Hudson Valley Center for Contemporary Arts as our fiscal sponsor (501c3 status). This has been a wonderful start, please help us raise the rest of the funds to make this program even more successful than last year!

WHAT THE MONEY IS FOR:

The total goal needed for this program (bare bones) is $20,000.  We are writing grants for half and seeking funding here for the remaining funds to be used as follows:

-Each individual artist will receive an honorarium for their time 

- Materials for creation including exterior latex paint, brushes, drop cloths, etc 

 - Vinyl banner material for the canvas  & printing of banners for logos of sponsors 

 - Digital projector - Digital camera for documenting the project (yes, technofiles, we will have proper audio soon!) 

-Postcard printing - 1000 postcards x 8 images 

- Book printing of documentary publication "The Banner Project" 

- Graphic designer & Administrative fees

- Postage for promotional mailers as well as postcards and books - 

- Installation materials for banners

Note: Additional funds raised will go toward bringing more professional artists and youth together to create banners for other locations, increase the honorarium for participating artists and assist in future program development.

CALL TO HUDSON VALLEY ARTISTS - more info here: http://kellibickman.net/youth-mural-arts/

FUTURE PROJECTS:

Plans are also underway for a continued collaboration with the Hudson Valley Center for Contemporary Art ( http://hvcca.org) for a Fall 2011 project that will be an extension of their exhibition titled "c. 1986".

2010 Painters for Peace Mural

"The City of Peekskill is very proud of the first mural that was created by the Youth Bureau teens under the direction of Kelli Bickman. The project is an inspiration to all adults to reach out to our youth. Our youth are extremely talented. The beautiful mural that hangs on the exterior of the Cortlandt Hook and Ladder/Youth Bureau building is a testament to the power of this adult-teen collaboration. I hope to see more murals soon." Mayor Mary F. Foster

Project location: Peekskill, NY