“Our Creative Roots /Nuestras Raíces Creativas”, An Immigrant Youth
Mural Unveiling and Performance – August 20, 2021
A mural created by seven immigrant asylum seekers in production with Artolution
artists will be unveiled with a final performance, on Friday, August 20 at 4 p.m. at
Key Foods, 32-21 Newtown Ave, Queens, NY 11102
New York, August 16, 2021 – Seven teenagers, many of whom fled violence in Central America and who are clients of Kids in Need of Defense (KIND), spent three weeks working with Artolution artists to design and paint a large-scale public mural that reflects on their experiences. The mural’s official unveiling and accompanying theatrical and dance performances created by the youth will take place during the closing event in front of the mural on August 20 from 4-5 PM EST. Media and the public are invited to attend.
Through collaborative art-making, these young immigrants are sharing the human stories of fleeing conflict, arriving in an unfamiliar country, and their journey adapting and surviving in a new environment. “Our Creative Roots Nuestras Raíces Creativas” is led by Artolution’s Co-founder, Joel Bergner and Head of Performance, CJ Thomas, with assistant artists Ruth Murcia and Angela Fang Zirbes.This is the organization’s second mural collaboration with KIND clients, including a mural in NYC’s East Village that was revealed in 2019.
Artolution is a non-profit organization (501c3) that seeks to strengthen communities in crisis through collaborative art-making. We identify, train and support teams of local teaching artists to facilitate collaborative, educational arts programming in crisis-affected communities, providing sustainable and long-lasting social impacts on the next generation of citizens.
Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) is a global leader in the protection of unaccompanied refugee and migrant children. Launched in 2008, KIND champions a world in which every child’s rights and well-being are protected throughout their journey to safety. Since 2008, KIND has accepted over 23,000 referrals of children seeking legal representation in their immigration proceedings and cultivated partnerships with over 670 law firms, corporate legal departments, law schools, and bar associations across the country.
Press may reach out to the media contacts below to schedule interviews, photos or video with Artolution artists, KIND staff, and selected participants from 5-6 PM on August 20.
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Media Contacts:
Stephanie Madrid, Digital Content Manager at Artolution stephanie.madrid@artolution.org
Megan McKenna, Senior Communications Director at KIND mmckenna@supportkind.org