Ideas Become Reality
Sketchbooks lie open, color palettes line the walls, and a team of young artists stands ready to present their vision. Through Creative Art Works' Public Art Youth Employment programs, CAW Youth Apprentices (YAs) become professional designers. Under the guidance of CAW Teaching Artists, our YAs had just over two weeks to conduct stakeholder discovery interviews, research neighborhood histories, synthesize all that they learned, and ultimately pitch their final concepts to real-world clients.
We took a front-row seat at all six of this summer’s pitch presentations. Here’s how our YAs brought their creative visions to life and won over their clients.
REBNY Mural
For the Real Estate Board of New York, the team delivered an ambitious concept featuring iconic landmarks from all five boroughs, such as the Brooklyn Bridge and the Unisphere in Queens, alongside intimate moments of city life, such as a musician playing a piano near the water. Jim Whelan, President of REBNY, praised the vibrant energy and artistic skill. He offered direct, constructive industry feedback: the mural needed less passive leisure and more of New York's iconic drive.
"I think you all capture the spirit of New York City. I think the energy of New York City comes from the talent and the fact that we hustle. And I would love to see that here.... REBNY moves New York City forward economically."
— Sandhya Espitia, REBNY Chief Operating Officer
Embracing the client's comments with enthusiasm, the YAs pivoted quickly, taking notes to adjust scale, swap out some of the greenery for more iconic skyscrapers, and to inject the fast-paced "hustle" of the NYC workforce into their updated design.
League of Women Voters of the City of New York Graphic Design Project
The YAs at the League of Women Voters worksite are tasked with creating print materials that explain complex voting rules and deadlines to first-time voters, particularly Gen Z.
YAs brought a bold approach to their pitch: turn civic duty into a graphic journey with a vintage feel. They presented a suite of comic-inspired bookmarks, tri-fold “zines,” and palm cards, featuring soft, retro color palettes, accessible typography, step-by-step comic panels, and a diverse lineup of illustrated characters—including poll workers and young voters navigating their first election.
When the clients saw the zine's interactive, game-like flow, the room lit up. Not only did they approved the concepts but admitted that YAs had far exceeded what they imagined.
"We are blown out of the water. A lot of [our existing] handouts have paragraphs of information that feels like homework. This feels like a game, which is really great."
— Talia Miele, Chair of the NextGen Committee, League of Women Voters NYC
New York Metropolitan Transportation Council Mural
Designing a mural for the New York Metropolitan Transportation Council (NYMTC) meant capturing the chaotic, beautiful pulse of how millions of New Yorkers move every day. The proposed mural tells a sweeping geographic story, traveling from the Montauk Lighthouse through the five boroughs and up to the lower Hudson River Valley. Historic elements such as the vintage City Hall subway station appear alongside future-focused visions of sustainable, green-roof architecture. Overlaid across the entire piece are the iconic, colorful lines of the MTA subway map, tying the city's active transit—from delivery cyclists to elevators for accessibility—into a unified piece.
The NYMTC staff couldn't hold back their enthusiasm.
“The design process with the CAW youth apprentices and teaching artists has been so collaborative and wonderful! From the time we sat with them for our interview, through the final design pitch last week, and now as we see the mural painting underway, it has been such a joy to see how well the CAW team captured our thoughts and hopes for the transportation network that keeps New York City, Long Island and the lower Hudson Valley moving. We can't wait to see the final unveiling in two weeks!”
— Adam S. Levine, P.E., AICP, NYMTC Executive Director
Sherman Creek Photo Essay
All the way uptown, YAs at Inwood’s Sherman Creek Park pitched an outdoor photo essay designed for an installation along the community park's fences. Their presentation focused on deep philosophical concepts held by the clients, including biophilia (our innate love for nature) and sonder (the realization that every passerby lives a life as complex as your own).
The YAs hit the pavement and interviewed local residents, elders, and park-goers, pairing black-and-white and full-color portraits with deeply personal reflections and quotes about their connections to the neighborhood. The team demonstrated how their gallery would blend seamlessly into the park's natural perimeter. The clients were struck by the maturity of the YAs' approach and the sheer depth of their community outreach.
The clients were struck by the maturity of the YAs' approach and the sheer depth of their community outreach.
"Thank you all for such a great experience. The insightful questions made me think a lot, and I left feeling inspired..."
— Jana LaSorte, Administrator of Northern Manhattan Parks
"The interview process was really involved... Conducting interviews to get a sense of what people think about the park is of great value in and of itself."
— Jason Smith, Director of Northern Manhattan Parks, NYRP
Kings County Family Court Paintings
Designing art for the Family Court system requires an empathetic touch. The team learned that both staff and families entering the court’s 8th-floor waiting room might be experiencing highly emotional moments. Their mission was clear: create a sense of safety, peace, and serenity, as well as reflecting the local Brooklyn community.
The YAs presented a series of multi-panel murals filled with recognizable Brooklyn landmarks—such as Grand Army Plaza, the Coney Island Wonder Wheel, Jane's Carousel at Brooklyn Bridge Park, and views from the Verrazzano Bridge—all rendered in a dreamy, dynamic style. To maintain a calming atmosphere, they intentionally selected a pastel, low-contrast color palette. To add a personal community touch, the YAs pitched hand-designed border tiles inspired by classic MTA subway station mosaics, with every single apprentice contributing their own individual tile design.
The court administration and leadership praised the team's ability to turn an intimidating space into a welcoming, hopeful environment.
“Family Court can be a very intimidating place for those who come through the doors every day. The installations created by these talented CAW artists will help to reduce some of the anxiety that many court users feel in the building. These pieces of art will be some of the most pleasant distractions that we can provide in court.”
– Supervising Judge of the Kings County Family Court Gilbert A. Taylor
PS 153 – Adam Clayton Powell School Mural:
At PS 153, school leadership requested a mural that would make elementary school students feel welcomed, celebrated, and inspired as they grew. The YAs approached the project by asking a fundamental question: How do children view the world?
Their answer was a vibrant, dreamy vision filled with lively colors, Harlem architecture, and motifs of unity and guidance. On the left side of the composition, tiny illustrated children begin their journey at school; as the eye moves across the wall, the characters grow taller and more mature, capturing the journey toward graduation. To add an interactive element, YAs embedded neighborhood bodega cats throughout the mural for young students to count as they walked down it.
The school leadership was visibly moved by how every thread of their community was woven together.
"To be able to bring all of these ideas together and make it one cohesive piece of artwork... is way above my pay grade. The fact that all of you were able to work together and create one thing that makes sense together is amazing."
— PS 153 Principal Sophia Matos
The Ultimate Moment: "Do We Have Your Approval?"
A key aspect of our program is to equip young people with the skills they need to navigate professional situations, both now and in their future careers. And sometimes that means listening to client input.
While every team walked away with a green light to start work, some clients requested changes. In some cases, these were subtle adjustments, while others required revisions to parts of the design. YA’s noted their clients' constructive feedback and got to work adjusting compositions, finalizing color palettes, and adding more New York flair to their designs. Every team is now officially moving forward on schedule, working diligently toward their final installation deadlines.
Check back here for more information on the Public Art Youth Employment programs and all mural and multimedia project unveilings.
CAW Teaching Staff
Cass Waters
Teaching Artist
Becky Schuman
Teaching Artist
Emma Smoluchowski
Teaching Artist
Paul Varano
Teaching Artist
Yotzin Reyes
Teaching Artist Assistant
Jonathan Hyman
Teaching Artist Assistant
Cayden Colorado
Teaching Artist Assistant-in-Training
Micaela Jimenez
Teaching Artist Assistant-in-Training
Sanjida Mou
Teaching Artist Assistant-in-Training
Hazza Block
Teaching Artist
Dani Coca
Teaching Artist
Noga Cohen
Teaching Artist
Golnaz Esmaili
Teaching Artist
Izzy Kayle
Teaching Artist
Farah Mohammad
Teaching Artist
Sofia Pujol
Teaching Artist
Natalie Raskin
Teaching Artist
Abby Walsh
Teaching Artist
Documentary Staff
Amrita Singh
Teaching Artist
Maham Khwaja
Teaching Artist
Kevin Claiborne
Program Manager
Riki Sabel
Program Manager of Teaching & Learning
Emilio Vides-Curnen
Operations Coordinator
Madeline De León
Program Coordinator
Paola Gonzalez
Development & Communications Coordinator
EJ Meehan
Finance & Administration Coordinator
CAW Staff
Karen Jolicoeur
Executive Director
Ian Newton
Director of Finance & Administration
Clair Vogel
Development Manager
Scott Lucas
Manager of Marketing & Communications
Donna Manganello
Program Manager
Our Thanks
We are grateful to the following organizations, foundations, and government agencies that support our work, as well as individual donors.
Creative Art Works’ Public Art Youth Employment program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council. The program also receives support from the AEO Better World Foundation, the Find Your Light Foundation, the LeRoy Neiman and Janet Byrne Neiman Foundation, the Milton & Sally Avery Arts Foundation, the Pinkerton Foundation, and the William Talbot Hillman Foundation. Creative Art Works' programs are made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. The Sherman Creek photo essay program was made possible by a generous grant from Charities Aid Foundation Canada.
In-kind support was provided by: Celtic, Colony, Empire Metal and Glass, Newport Painting, Rockhill Management, Sherwin Williams, Structure Tone, and Vornado Realty Trust.
Additional funding was provided by: The NYC Department of Youth and Community Development, the Real Estate Board of New York, and by numerous corporate and individual sponsors and donors.
Our youth employment partners include: Brooklyn Community Services, Children's Arts & Science Workshops, Commonpoint, El Barrio’s Operation Fight Back, Inwood Community Services, and Of Home.
