Groundswell engaged VIP Community Services adult clients in the research, design, and creation of a large-scale mural to generate public awareness around the complex issue of chemical dependency. Through an intensive six-week workshop, 21 VIP Community Services adult clients worked with Lead Artist Marc Evan and Assistant Artist Raul Ayala to create the multi-story mural for VIP’s state-of-the-art residential facility The Laura Parsons Residence for Men. In support of the recovery-based treatment program provided by VIP Community Services and its New York State partner the Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS), Groundswell collaborated with recruited volunteers at the facility to leverage the artmaking process as a catalyst for healing and self-discovery.
 
The research period started with a field trip to the American Folk Art Museum. Facilitated by Evan and Ayala, the project team explored the definition of hero through the lenses of mythological and historical symbolism. Inspired by the self-taught artists featured in the exhibition “Self-Taught Genius: Treasures from the American Folk Art Museum,” the project team set out to capture the rich ideas and themes which emerged from its discussions. With an explosion of ideas, the mural celebrates the power of the mind. A collage of symbols harmoniously becomes the design’s focal point, illustrating how many minds cohesively become one. For example, a turtle representing longevity is balanced by a whale symbolizing the aspiration to dream and achieve grand initiatives. Two reptiles – connecting the bottom part of the mural with the explosion of ideas on the top – represent the concept of rebirth. 
 

Installed on Herzl Street, “It’s Not A Dream If You Will It” is inspired by Theodore Herzl’s famous quote – “If you will it, it is no dream.” – and encourages psychological transformation within the participants and the viewers. As the third mural to be unveiled among a series of five created through Transform / Restore: Brownsville, “It’s Not A Dream If You Will It” supports the transformation of the narrative of Brownsville through public art.

Throughout the mural design and fabrication process, youth participants engaged in brainstorming sessions to re-define the concept of ‘hero’ and ‘role model.’ During the research phase, the project team also visited the Brooklyn Museum and Brownsville Heritage House. “We dug through the history of Brownsville, aiming to figure out a path for our community in the future. What is the best way to achieve that other than getting to know our neighborhood first?” said youth participant Sean Turner, among five other Brownsville residents on the team.

At the bottom left of the mural, a silhouette is nestled among Brownsville-born community leaders and celebrities, suggesting that everyone can become a neighborhood hero through this process of acknowledgment and discovery. The water image at the bottom of the mural further suggests transformation through upward and continuous progress, inspired by Greek philosopher Heraclitus’ notion “No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man.”

Launched with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) through its national Our Town initiative, Transform / Restore: Brownsville is designed to engage young adult probation clients, local businesses, and community members in the creation of visible and permanent change in Brownsville, Brooklyn.

In partnership with The Trust for Public Land, Groundswell youth created a mural to serve as a backdrop to a new playground planned for the C.S. 300 Twin Parks campus, which houses C.S. 300, I.S. 129, and Kappa III. For many in the community, the building is not just school but home. Through the transformation of the schoolyard through public art, youth artists supported community stakeholders in creating a beautiful public space where young people’s futures can take flight.
 
During the research period, the youth project team went on guided neighborhood walks and interviewed local residents to capture not only the fauna and flora in the area, but also gain more insight into what the school campus means to community members. A stylized figure on the right hand side of the design, inspired by the mural team’s field trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, provides a sense of welcome and attachment to young people and families reaching out to her. The roots of the plants in the mural deeply extend into the soil, symbolizing the strong connection individuals have with their community. In the sky, paper airplanes transform into birds, a playful visual metaphor designed to capture the imagination of children and adults alike.

Groundswell’s all-male Making His’tory mural team made up of young men in Groundswell’s Summer Leadership Institute (SLI) – some with a prior involvement with the justice system – collaborated with Lead Artist Esteban del Valle and Assistant Artist Jose de Jesus Rodriguez to raise awareness around the prison industrial complex and to explore what freedom can mean within this context. Entitled “P.I.C.T.U.R.E.S Prison Industrial Complex: Tyranny Undermining Rights, Education, And Society,” the 18’ by 80’ mural was created through three intensive phases: research, design, and fabrication.
 
During the initial afterschool research phase, the project team interviewed experts in the field of justice reform and participated in brainstorming sessions and hands-on workshops. They also visited the Museum of the City of New York, attending a street art exhibition currently on display and gaining more insight on how New York City has historically spearheaded national social justice movements. The research discussions among the youth artists were marked by debates around the structural issues leading to the social and economic imprisonment of certain ethnic and racial populations in the United States.  At the center of the mural, a man with a cage on his head symbolizes the imprisonment of the mind, embodying the group’s definition of “prison” generated by rigorous team discussions. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is at the center right adjacent to the man in cage, symbolizing taking action against such problems through proactive social participation. The mural also incorporates imagery of flying books and a ladder, to further suggest the concept of hope through civic participation.
 
To follow a youth-driven social media campaign highlighting this project, developed in partnership with WNET New York Public Media, use #GroundswellNYC.
 

Groundswell, in partnership with Jamaica NeON, engaged youth muralists in the creation of “Aspire to Inspire,” a mural highlighting education as the most crucial step toward success in life.
 
Groundswell teen mural artists and young adult probation clients collaborated with Lead Artist DonChristian Jones and Assistant Artist Sofia Maldonado, through Groundswell’s paid apprenticeship the Summer Leadership Institute (SLI), to give voice to disconnected youth in South Jamaica to combat the high school dropout crisis.
 
Following a sequential narrative from left to right, “Aspire to Inspire” unfolds in a series of accessible and engaging visual symbols, beginning with The House of Growth on the left, moving gradually through the Learning Pool in the center, and reaching the Ocean of Opportunity at the right. With a hopscotch course presented on the left hand side, the mural highlights the affirming power of self-discovery through education, creating a sense of agency in young people and empowering them to create their own path to success.
 

Groundswell, in partnership with The Greenpoint Chamber of Commerce and the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), engaged youth muralists in the creation of “Our Journey to Clean Water,” a mural celebrating Greenpoint’s history of environmental justice activism and highlighting the importance of watershed stewardship at a critical moment in the neighborhood’s trajectory. The mural is installed on the wall of MS 126 Magnet School for Environmental Engineering.
 
The youth mural team, including seven Greenpoint-based youth, participated in meaningful educational field trips, including a walking tour of Greenpoint highlighting the neighborhood’s history of environmental activism, a canoe trip on Newtown Creek, and a visit to Old Croton Aqueduct State Historic Park and the East of Hudson Watershed, to deepen youth participants’ understanding of the local watershed system, with an emphasis on the devastating impact of the Newtown Creek oil spill and an awareness of the New York City Water Supply System.
 
Inspired by this hands-on research, the final mural design depicts a woman is pouring herself a pure glass of water, safely stewarded from the Catskills Watershed to her faucet. The water pipes are connected from the mountains, flowing into a revitalized Greenpoint, where local businesses such as an auto repair shop (complete with electric car) and farmer’s market thrive - illustrating how human activities can profoundly impact the local environment. “Our Journey to Clean Water” urges viewers to take action and share responsibility for a greener community and to conserve and protect our shared water resources.
 

This project was made possible with funding provided by the Office of the New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation through the Greenpoint Community Environmental Fund and the Catskill Watershed Corporation. Additional support was provided by New York City Councilmember Stephen Levin and the New York State Office of Public Safety.
 

As Vision Zero gains momentum, Groundswell teen muralists collaborated with the New York City Department of Transportation and Food Bazaar Supermarket  to educate New Yorkers about the prevention of Driving While Intoxicated (DWI). 
 
Featuring responsible drinking, “Hit The Brakes on DWI and Choose The Right Path” uses positive reinforcement to encourage every member in the community to play their part in stopping DWI. The slogan “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” is presented in both English and Spanish, demonstrating the in-depth research youth participants conducted on the neighborhood’s demographics. The family-friendly imagery with colorful and engaging visual symbols also reflects the youth artists’ efforts to effectively deliver the message across a diverse population and age group.
 
To grasp the impact of DWI on family and community members, community partner NYC DOT invited a former DWI offender on probation to share his experience with the project team. His stories, involving personal transformation after seeing the suffering caused by unsafe driving, inspired the team to incorporate the process of rebirth in the mural. As a part of the deference strategies, the design also incorporates a subway train safely delivering passengers away from the road accidents on the left of the mural to safe streets on the right.

Through this project, Groundswell partnered with ArtWorks for Freedom (AWFF), an innovative non-profit founded by award-winning photographer Kay Chernush, to create “What You See Is Not Who I Am,” a panel series designed by teen artists, to be used as part of AWFF’s Global Cities Awareness Campaigns.
 
Human trafficking and infringement upon basic human rights is a growing industry – one that must be both addressed and stopped. Working under the guidance of Lead Artist Nicole Schulman and Assistant Artist Edwin Vazquez, Groundswell youth participating in our Teen Empowerment Mural Apprenticeship program faced this issue head on through the creation of a multi-panel installation. During the process of research, design, and fabrication, Groundswell youth learned about the growing epidemic of human trafficking and discovered that New York is no exception in the industry. Youth artists collaboratively created twelve panels; each panel represents a different human right and a different way human trafficking hurts people around the world.
 
The youth hope that the mural series can spark a new awareness of human trafficking, and that the series will inspire others to take the steps needed to free these many people from their bounds.

Court-involved youth participating in Groundswell’s Segue program partnered with artists Crystal Bruno and Jules Joseph, Groundswell youth leaders, and Planned Parenthood of New York City to complete a welcoming mural for the interior of PPNYC’s Executive Office on Bleecker Street in Manhattan.  During the design of the mural, Groundswell youth researched the reproductive justice issues at the heart of Planned Parenthood’s mission to provide essential health care, innovative programs, and effective advocacy to thousands of women, teens, and families in New York City. A brilliant mandala anchors the mural and provides the image a centerpiece to reflect upon and celebrate the ongoing work of Planned Parenthood. Near the outer layers of the circle are the silhouettes of city buildings symbolizing the work of PPNYC in providing citywide clinical care, education, and advocacy across the city. These three pillars of PPNYC are also highlighted in the surrounding circles which frame the main mandala. A pair of winged stethoscopes emerges from the center of the mandala as a symbol of care and guardianship, and a listening device to hear the needs and concerns of those in need of care.

Fifteen seniors worked with Groundswell artist Jess Poplawski to create a traffic safety sign that addresses their concerns about safe street crossing in their neighborhood. The team worked closely with the NYC Department of Transportation to learn more about safety measures and interviewed their fellow residents about their experiences as pedestrians. The sign was fabricated at the DOT sign shop in Queens and installed at a key intersection in the community. 
 
This sign is composed of a red stop-sign shape against a yellow caution square. The stop sign features the words “Stop, Look, Walk” with silhouettes of seniors crossing at a crosswalk. The top corners of the square have images of distractions to be mindful of and the bottom corners are images of others that may share the road with seniors around the Stanley Isaacs Neighborhood Center.