Harlem Heat
Some of the Youth Apprentices and Teaching Artists who designed and painted the mural “Harlem Heat” for the new Trader Joe’s Harlem store.
It all started with a stroll around the neighborhood.
“How Do I See Myself?” Creative Art Work’s mural on the eastern edge of the plaza at the Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., State Office Building.
Back in February, Tracy-Ann Reeves, Store Manager for the highly-anticipated Trader Joe’s Harlem location, was exploring 125th Street, trying to get a feel for the place. Trader Joe’s is a “national chain of individual neighborhood grocery stores.” So, Tracy-Ann was looking for local inspiration for the store decor, and she found it at the Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., State Office Building when she first set eyes on the Creative Art Works mural, “How do I See Myself?”
Tracy-Ann later recalled thinking, “Wow! This is it!” She was even more impressed when she researched CAW. She knew then that Trader Joe’s had to partner with CAW to create a mural for the new Harlem location.
It was the first time that Trader Joe’s ever commissioned artwork from any organization outside the company.
Mr. Apollo (far right) presents the “Tree of Hope” to CAW YAs during a backstage tour of the Apollo Theater.
“We are a Team”
Creative Art Works’ team-based approach to developing public art aligns well with Trader Joe’s stated corporate values. We hired 21 young NYC residents, many of them from Upper Manhattan, to work as Youth Apprentices (YAs) on this project and began our own search for inspiration. First up: a tour of 125th Street. Curtis Archer, President of Harlem Community Development Corporation, introduced the YAs to some of the landmarks of the neighborhood, including the same mural that caught the eye of Tracy-Ann.
Next, the Director of Tours for the Apollo Theater, Billy Mitchell (better-known as “Mr. Apollo”) took our YAs on a backstage tour of the world-famous theater where legends such as Michael Jackson, James Brown, and Aretha Franklin once performed. And even though it wasn’t Amateur Night, one of our YAs was invited to sing on stage and everybody got a chance to rub the “Tree of Hope.”
The Harlem Mural Tour
CAW Youth Apprentice Sai Gomez
“This mural is beautiful, but our experience of painting it, I think, far outweighs the beauty of what we created. We are so grateful to both Curtis Archer and Billy Mitchell, who were incredible inspirations to our process. Speaking with them helped us understand tremendously the beauty of Harlem.”
The Design Process
“When we interviewed our client, they shared with us that our mission was to reflect as much of the rich history and culture of Harlem as we could, while conforming to Trader Joe’s mandate and style, which includes bold lines, blocky composition, and bright colors.”
Daya Diaz at the unveiling of Harlem Heat
This sun rising over the Apollo Theater inspired the central image of the revised mural design.
Unfortunately, as sometimes happens, our client asked for a major change in design direction, so it was back to the drawing board. After taking a day to regroup, our YAs set to work executing a revised design proposal in keeping with the new specifications.
One preliminary design idea that really appealed to Trader Joe’s included a bright, grinning sun rising over a Harlem streetscape. This image became the inspiration for a new design proposal. After this final design was approved, the YAs had only two weeks to finish painting. Despite these challenges, the murals were dynamically rendered and delivered on deadline.
The Final Murals
The larger of the two murals features a bright, smiling sun shining over 125th Street and includes the landmark Apollo and Victoria theaters.
The smaller mural features the word “Harlem” written in graffiti letters and local landmarks such as the Apollo Theater, the Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., State Office Building, and the Hotel Theresa. A subway train meanders through the middle of the mural under a sky resplendent with Afro-centric patterns— one car has been replaced by a boombox.
The Grand Unveiling
Over 140 people attended the official unveiling, including staff and Board Members from Creative Art Works, representatives from CAW’s partner institutions, and local and Regional Managers for Trader Joe’s. Attendees included Trader Joe’s Regional Vice President Jenn Gillum, District Commercial Sales Manager at Sherwin-Williams Christian Curry, and CAW Board Chair Andy Levin. CAW Board President Brian Ricklin and Executive Director Karen Jolicoeur congratuatled the YAs.
Trader Joe’s Harlem Store Manager Tracy-Ann Reeves
“We knew what we wanted, but to see it here now in its final form, you guys have exceeded what we were expecting. So I want to say thank you from Trader Joe’s. You were so amazing in this partnership, and I hope this is the first of many more to come.”
Get a behind-the-scenes look at the making of Harlem Heat
Read bios by all the Youth Apprentices in the commemorative brochure on ISSUU.
Our People
Girl Wonder Team
Dani Coca, Teaching Artist
Colleen Kong-Savage, Teaching Artist
Jonelle Austin, Teaching Artist Assistant-in-Training
Riki Sabel, Program Manager
Staff
Karen Jolicoeur, Executive Director
Ellen Seltzer, Director of Finance and Administration
Ivory Nunez-Medrano, Program Manager | Teaching and Learning
Donna Manganello, Program Manager
Riki Sabel, Program Manager
Madeline De Leon, Program Associate
Clair Vogel, Development Manager
Scott Lucas, Marketing & Communications Manager
Jill Goldstein, Office Manager
Board of Directors
Brian Ricklin, President
Andrew D. Levin, Chairman
Steven Soutendijk, Treasurer
Julia Sanabria, Secretary
Mosely Chaszar
Neil Goldmacher
Gail Holcomb
Cary Levy
Angela Pennyfeather
Andrew Stern
Tiffany Theriault
Janet Woods
Our Thanks…
Creative Art Works’ Public Art Youth Employment program receives support from the Milton & Sally Avery Arts Foundation, the Leroy Neiman and Janet Byrne Neiman Foundation, the Find Your Light Foundation, the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and the Department of Youth and Community Development, and the Office of the Manhattan Borough President.
