A team of ten teens spent six weeks designing, constructing, and painting a mural in Harlan Community Academy's courtyard. The teens were participants in the Metropolitan Family Services violence prevention summer program, and were led by artists Todd Osborne and Amanda Mudrovich.
Metropolitan Family Services reached out to CPAG about their interest in the project. CPAG was able to secure additional funding from a Chicago Community Trust Fund's Safe and Peaceful Communities Grant to make the project happen.
CPAG helps communities, schools, and organizations such as Metropolitan Family Services and Harlan Academy, figure out how to make projects happen. From looking for funding to finding the right artists, CPAG does much more than simply ordering supplies, writing contracts, and organizing payments.
This project was also a great example of artist mentorship. Todd Osborne has more than ten years of experience in bricolage. He mentored Amanda Mudrovich, a mixed-media artist, by teaching her the bricolage process. One of CPAG's core goals is to train and educate professional artists in the processes required to create community-responsive art projects, teaching them to become responsible leaders in the field of public art.
The mural was unveiled on Tuesday, August 8, 2017, at Harlan Community Academy High School, 9652 S. Michigan Ave.
We would like to thank Chicago Community Trust for awarding us the Safe and Peaceful Communities Grant.
