“The Blooming of Harlem”

A New CAW Mural Shines a Light on a Vibrant Neighborhood

It’s not even 10:00 AM, and it’s already creeping up to 90 degrees in West Harlem. A power outage at the West Fourth Street subway station has sparked a commuter calamity on the A, B, C, F and M trains. Many straphangers have given up and gone home, but at the Jacob H. Schiff Campus, Creative Art Works (CAW) Youth Apprentices (YAs) are diligently putting down drop cloths, setting up ladders, and hauling out buckets of water and paint. They have a deadline and need to get to work.

CAW Teaching Artist Noga Cohen says, “I think it's really nice to see how supportive our YAs are and how they really take care of each other, especially in these extreme conditions.”

*Teaching Artist Abby Walsh (in foreground) directing Youth Apprentices*

CAW is painting a new mural stretching more than 170 feet along 138th Street from Hamilton Place to the North entrance of the Schiff Campus. With only two weeks to go until the official unveiling, time is of the essence, but Teaching Artist Abby Walsh is confident her team will finish on time.

“One of the advantages of having this many YAs is that we can have them staggered along the whole length of the mural,” says Abby, “And different teams can focus on getting really good at painting different things.”

It’s remarkable how much of the mural has come together in only a few short painting days. The entire design has been traced out on a grid and already large sections of color have been filled in.

From left to right, the mural is a literal and allegorical representation of the history of the neighborhood. One section shows a tangled landscape of thorns giving way to a well-cared for community garden. This is intended to show how the Harlem Renaissance was born out of municipal neglect, and how many different groups of people worked together over time to reclaim the neighborhood. The far-right end of the mural shows a parade of children that turns into a shadow play of hopes and aspiration before finally returning to the entrance to the school, where dreams may become reality.

“Last summer, I worked in gardens in Van Cortland Park, and this summer I’m painting a mural about a garden. As an artistic person, I have a lot of fun with the creative freedom of painting, and working on such a big scale is really exciting for me. But, obviously, you can’t ignore the fact that this is a very physical job.”

— Amber Valdez

“We are speaking for a community with a lot of diversity,” says Abby, “So we wanted to reflect that in the mural with different kinds of faces and skin tones. It's also speaking to a variety of age groups. And we get to watch adults and children be mesmerized as the art progresses.”

*Youth Apprentices Angelica Maldonado, Kaz Wilks, and Tahqari Koonce painting*

Even in its as yet unfinished state, the mural invites compliments and connections. Upon seeing the silhouette of a saxophone player, a woman who was born and raised across the street from the school shared a photograph of her father playing saxophone. Many school children recognize the face of Harriet Tubman because they have either learned about the abolitionist and social activist in school, or they have seen her statue at the nearby Harriet Tubman Memorial.

The mural will be unveiled on Thursday, August 14th, at 11:00 a.m. We invite you to help us celebrate our team of young artists, starting in the Jacob Schiff School Auditorium, at 500 West 138th Street. We also invite you to check this blog after the unveiling to see photos of the final design.

In their own Words…

*Widalis Marie Burgos is passionate about telling the story of the people of West Harlem*

“Young people from different cultures are bringing different flavors and ideas together to create a piece of art that reflects everyone. I had the pleasure of meeting with the team before they began painting to discuss our core values of justice, honor, and self-discipline. And now I have the pleasure of seeing all those ideas made into vivid images.”

— Principal Hilduara Abreu

“This is my first job, and I think it has shown me the value of hard work. I’m passionate about writing and creating stories and I think it’s really beautiful that we are helping the community by telling their story through art. I would like to be an English teacher to share that creativity with other people.”

— Widalis Marie Burgos