On Tuesday June 25th, 50 students and staff members worked together to install large scale black and white portraits of ROADS Bronx High School students. “I was…I am…I will be” was the idea that drove this project, as well as the drawn portraits students created earlier this year in art class. This statement encourages reflection and goal setting, connected by the significance of our present day choices. Today can separate us from our past, and propel us toward the futures we want for ourselves. You can listen to some of these statements from the creators themselves in this video.
First, the wheatpaste. Ellie was the queen of this task!
Then, the photo comes.
Placing and smoothing…
The installation took a lot of dedication, energy (it was 90 degrees and sunny!), physical strength, a willingness to get dirty, encouragement, music and laughs.
so. excited.
Our last step was to ziptie these to the fences that surround the inside and exterior of the beautiful community garden of Brook Park, an active center of the Mott Haven neighborhood of the South Bronx, NYC.
Our project is one of over 600 group actions of the Inside Out Project , a global art movement created by artist JR. The project encourages participants to make portraits and publicly post them to create curiosity, conversation, community, beauty and more. Two years ago his TED Talk Video rocked my world and moved me to act. I feel my strongest and most inspired with my students, and I am deeply grateful that I got to see this dream come to life with them, through them.
The immediate feedback from neighbors was overwhelmingly positive. One woman said to me, “These are so inspiring hanging up here. You look at (the students) in the eyes and you feel like you can be someone too.” Another person said to me, “I don’t know who these young folks are, but they look like our neighborhood’s next graduates!” To us at ROADS, that means everything!
With deep gratitude…
To the students and staff at ROADS for active participation in the entire process, start to finish.
To Harry Bubbins, the director at Brook Park for allowing us full access to space and the freedom to make it meet our vision.
To Carolyn, Jason and Carlos for their volunteer work all day!
And to Larson Harley for helping me bring this project to fruition, and his endless support in this and all I do.
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