Released: August 15, 2005

Mural Depicts Hartford “Through the Eyes” of Neighborhood Youth Teens, Local Artist to Complete 8x32-foot Painting Thursday
 
(Hartford) – “We are the future of Hartford.  This mural is about our neighborhood.  It is what we see ‘through our eyes.’  It is about pride, unity, community and learning together,” wrote the 12 teenagers creating the eight 4’ by 8’ panels of art depicting Hartford’s Dutch Point and Sheldon Oaks neighborhoods.
 
Now dubbed “Through Our Eyes,” the 8’ by 32’ mural the students have been working on since July will be completed by Thursday, August 18, the day their summer jobs as artists ends.  The students also served as mentors to younger children from their neighborhoods for five of the six weeks of the employment program Teen Teach.
 
Every week day, the 12 teens have been working together at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center on Van Block Avenue to develop the mural, under the guidance of local artist and Hartford resident Chet Kempczynski, who also grew up in Dutch Point.
 
“This brings back a lot of memories,” Kempszynski said.  “I’ve lived in Hartford my whole life and seen a lot of changes.  Change is good.  And the kids are great to work with.  They are very creative, and it’s nice that they are taking pride in the mural.”
 
With simple instructions from program director Betsy LeBorious to “go out and take photos of your neighborhood,” the teens shot more than 100 pictures – of Adriaen’s Landing, their homes, churches, construction sites, even abandoned buildings.
 
“Their photos really represented the changing neighborhood.  They created a collage of the old and the new, and the mural is based on that photo collage,” said LeBorious, who works for the Capitol Region Education Council.  CREC manages the mural project, which is funded by Capital Workforce Partners and CSS/CON.  The students are paid for their work.
 
Teen Teach is designed to give students a meaningful summer work experience and focuses on the unity and pride inherent in a community.
 
Kamel Lovejoy, 16, is a graffiti artist and worked on a mural last summer that was installed in the Sheldon Oaks neighborhood.  He lives near the Church of the Good Shepard.  “The last mural was about peace and violence; this one is about the neighborhood.  I wanted to make sure my neighborhood is on that mural.”
 
Diana Santos, 18, wants those who see the mural to know that her neighborhood “is worth something.”  Gabriel Diaz, also 18, said the mural depicts how the neighborhood “used to be, how it’s changing.  It was bad; now it’s way better.”
 
Brittany Sims, 14, enjoyed working on the mural with the younger children.  “It was so weird because I’m the youngest in my family; I’m used to being the baby.  It was so much fun, and I got emotional when the kids left.  One girl gave me a card with a rainbow on it.”
 
Sims also is keeping a journal about the mural project, including drawings and observations of the process.  “I’ve been noticing that a lot of people have been putting in a lot of effort – not taking breaks, asking ‘what can I paint next?’ as soon as they finish one thing.
 
“This is my very first mural.  I’ve never done art with a bunch of people before,” she added.  “It’s shaky sometimes, trying to cram everyone’s ideas into it, but it’s turning out well and everyone here is a lot of fun.”
 
In July, the teens had the opportunity to visit with other students in a similar program in Brooklyn, New York, and to see their artwork and how they represented their neighborhoods.
 
“I liked the color and the way they expressed themselves through the murals,” Diaz said.  “Their buildings are bigger, so their murals are bigger – with lots of color.”
 
As for the Hartford mural, Kempczynski said, “The black, white and gray show the buildings that have been knocked down for construction and then the mural explodes into color, showing the new townhouses that will be built, the park, the church, Kinsella school, the Convention Center and the playground.”
 
The mural will be installed on Van Block Avenue in September.
 
About CREC
CREC is a non-profit, regional educational service center serving 35 Greater Hartford public school districts.  It was founded in 1966 by local school districts working together to solve common problems.  Today, CREC administers more than 120 programs and services spanning the entire educational spectrum with the same goal in mind.  For more information about CREC and its Community Education programs, visit www.crec.org.
 
About CWP
Capital Workforce Partners is one of five workforce investment boards in the state of Connecticut, covering 37 municipalities including Hartford, New Britain and Bristol.  For more information, visit www.capitalworkforce.org.
 
About CSS/CON
CSS/CON exists as an organization of people who live, work, worship and recreate in the Sheldon/Charter Oak neighborhood.  Our mission is to maintain and strengthen the Sheldon/Charter Oak neighborhood by means of a unified organization formed into a cohesive coalition.  We do this in collaboration with a broad base of public and private organizations.  To be succinct, we are concerned with improving the quality of life for ourselves and our neighbors.  Our focus is on housing and economic development, as well as in building partnerships and increasing resident involvement.  For more information please call 860-509-3706.

For Immediate Release:
August 15, 2005
 
Contacts:
Betsy LeBorious, 860-509-3615
 
Reporters are invited to visit during the teens’ working hours this week to see the mural and hear firsthand from the students and the artist about the project:  Monday through Thursday from noon to 4 p.m. at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center, 79 Van Block Ave., Hartford.
###