Urban ArtWorks
November 28, 2019
2019 Gratitude
A vibrant summer Mural Apprentice Program
Working alongside 5 Teaching Artists, 16 Youth Apprentices completed 6 murals, which were installed in prominent locations throughout Seattle. Over the course of 8 weeks, the apprentices spent 160 hours together learning the fundamentals of visual arts, research, design, and mural installation. In addition, the apprentices painted over graffiti on the SODO track murals and participated in a neon design workshop with the Western Neon School of Art. It was a busy and wonderful summer watching the young folks gain confidence in not only their artistic skills but also their communication and negotiation skills.
A fall session off to a great start
Engaged youth apprentices
Amazing Teaching Artists
One reason our programs are so successful is because of the guidance and dedication of our Teaching Artists. We are especially thankful this year for the work of Mari Shibuya, Filipe Perez, Scott McCall, Natalia Sotelo, Emmy Smith, Cecelia DeLeon, Devon Midori-Hale, and Amaranta Ibara-Sandys. Are you a Teaching Artist interested in working with us? We are expanding our youth programming in schools and communities outside of Seattle, so keep an eye out here for openings in 2020!
So Many Murals
From Swedish Hospital in Ballard to utility boxes in SODO, we’ve had the pleasure of working with some superstar muralists to help us fulfill our mission of transforming communities! Special thanks to Angelina Villalobos, Molly Keene, Forest Kell, Will Schlough, Kristin Ramirez, Brian Sanchez, Zach Bolotin, and Yale Wolf.
THE BEST COMMUNITY PARTNERS AND VOLUNTEERS
We are blown away by the number of community partners and volunteers that reach out to us on a weekly basis to offer their support! We are able to significantly expand our reach and impact because of them. Many folks used their artistic skills to help us with a variety of projects from the James Street columns under I-5 to the parking lot at the Phinney Neighborhood Center. Folks like Koze Sandborg and Michael O’Drisocoll have gone above and beyond!
We have had the fortune of partnering with BikeWorks, SODO BIA, Open Doors for Multicultural Families, and Starbucks to help bring new programming and projects into the community. We look forward to building on these relationships in 2020!
Our Mural Apprentice Program was financially supported by the Grousemount Foundation, Seattle Office of Arts and Culture, and 4Culture. We are thankful to our corporate sponsors including Lagunitas, Disruption Wine, Seattle Storm, BECU, ACE Hotel, Community Health Plan of Washington, Renegade, Colombia, Amazon, Amerigroup, Boeing, Facebook, Sound Credit Union, and Magic Toyota.
Since starting as Executive Director of Urban ArtWorks in May, I have been getting familiar with the youth we serve, our organization, the community, and doing the groundwork to significantly expand our youth programs even more in 2020. Things have been so exciting and busy that I have not really had the opportunity until writing this to sit back and appreciate how much people power and love have gone into making Urban ArtWorks what it is today. Because of people, like you, the young folks we work with are able to move beyond the barriers they have faced and can begin to paint their own narrative. For that, I am thankful.
Amanda Hashagen
Executive Director