"Lights On" Open Mic was a collaboration between MMAP and the ISA After School Program

Students recruited participants, posted fliers and prepared performances for the celebration. They also unveiled a fresh new t-shirt design, the capstone project of the environmental justice unit. Drawing from a 3 hour design workshop with over 20 middle and high school students, ISA teens John Blanco and Josh Consul finalized a design rooted in sustainability, respect for each other, the earth and the great city of San Francisco.  The peace sign forms the branches of the tree, and when students look down they see the constant reminder of inner peace.  Under the guidance of guest artist Rick Kitagawa, a professional artist from the local gallery Big Umbrella Studios, students participated in a screen printing workshop and printed their own t-shirts to wear during the Open Mic.

Guidance from Teen Art Instructors Josh Consul and John Blanco spurred the Starr King 5th grade class to create their own fashionable items out of recycled objects

John and Josh share their t-shirt design with a class of Starr King 5th graders studying sustainable fashion.

Open Mic participant Beronica prints her t-shirt.

Last Thursday, the result of all the hard work paid off.  Over 30 students danced, created a live graffiti piece, performed original poetry, rocked out on guitar, and sang to a packed auditorium with over 95 students and 20 staff members to cheer them on.  The event was a reminder that when we empower students with the tools for positive expression, they will not only exceed but they will excel beyond our greatest expectations.

Congratulations to the HEArt of the City for putting on a great show!

Two winners of the Open Mic raffle received a sweatshirt with the new design!

In this spirit, we salute all our teachers who mentor, tutor, paint, spray, teach, and serve the students of the Mural Music & Arts Project. Thank you for your continued commitment!

The dynamic staff of the Mural Music & Arts Project!

Our master educator and longest serving teacher, Rachel McIntire!

The Teen Mural Program's performing and visual art instruction team!

A salute to MMAP's founding teacher, Eugene Clark-Herrera, a former public school teacher and a current coach to all of MMAP's staff.

Shout out to Patrick Davenport, known to his students as P-Diddy, Patricio, and Panda - a true inspiration!

Much love to MMAP Executive Director, Sonya Clark-Herrera!

Adrian Johnson captures the ideal road from mentee to mentor, student to teacher, participant to leader! A true MMAP inspiration.

Lead Art Instructor Rahan B. leads a group share-out on visual representations of self.

Was there ever a high school class where you explored and expressed yourself through dance, lyrical expression, graffiti, and traditional drawing?  At East Palo Alto Academy, MMAP offers the In-School Elective (ISE) Program where students participate in all of the various art forms to develop their personal art skills and use their art to cultivate a positive individual and collective (school) culture.

To “know thyself,” students in the first weeks of the class, wrote and performed “I Am” poems.  Today, students work to deepen their personal identities by finding imagery to complement their written poems.  In the coming weeks, students will work together, find common identities and “express themselves” to cultivate a positive vision for their school.

EPAA's In-School Elective class learn about each other's artistic expressions.

Downtown high school student, Daniel, creates a personal portrait full of life and highlights!

The results were truly visionary: full of beautiful colors, complex layers and vibrant life.

On Tuesday, every participant presented their digital art and now they are challenged to live out their vision in their own life.

MMAP was founded in East Palo Alto in 2001 and will celebrate its growth in San Francisco, where MMAP hosts its Teen Mural Program (TMP) and Health Education through Art (HEArt) Program.

Teen Mural Assistants from MMAP's 2011 summer programs.

Please join our Honorary Host Committee:
Candice Petty, Event Chair * Enrique Allen * Tefferi Brook * Frank Chavez * Gemma Daggs * Randy DeVaul * Joaquin Garcia * Matt Haney * Meena Harris * Bronson McDonald * David Orozco * Michelle Perez * Zachary Pogue * Michael Riemenschneider * Angela Rodriguez * Sean Scott * Aida Soto * Emese Toth * Adam Warren

The event will feature DJ Sake 1 spinning records from 6pm to 8pm, as well as performances by MMAP youth in our History Through Hip Hop program.
Live Latin band will begin at 10 p.m.

"To have vision is to imagine unbelievable ideas and to create believable paths to get where you believe." - Troy R.

Returning HEArt Director, Sarah W., shares lesson plans with a few of the shining stars of MMAP's newest class of staff. Pictured here (from right) are Aria F., Kyle T., Sarah W., and Rahan B.

MMAP’s fall programming includes In-School Electives (ISE), Health Education through Art (HEArt), and Community Programming (CP). ISE is working at East Palo Alto Academy to establish critical thinking skills in the classroom, empower students, and cultivate a positive school climate through an innovative and collaborative arts curriculum. HEArt is a project-based program that teaches middle and and high school students about healthy living through participation in the visual and performing arts. HEArt is serving at:
- Starr King Elementary (San Francisco, CA)
- International Studies Academy (ISA) Middle School (San Francisco, CA)
- International Studies Academy (ISA) High School (San Francisco, CA)
- Downtown High School (San Francisco, CA)
- Ronald McNair Academy (East Palo Alto, CA)
- Costano / 49ers Academy (East Palo Alto, CA)

The Community Programs includes Mentoring Matters and an enhanced commitment to our program’s alumni. These calendars, as well as the protocols of MMAP’s programs, were shared at a great meeting of the MMAP minds. MMAP is ready for a great fall quarter of programming.

Adrian J., a three-year veteran of MMAP's program and sophomore at Foothill College, recently joined HEArt as Program Instructor.

This wouldn’t be the first MMAP arts program to East Palo Alto Academy.  EPAA has embodied the vision of a “21st Century Community Learning Center,” in large part, by opening its doors to the people and programs of MMAP, an arts-based, community organization.   To date, MMAP has hosted the Graffiti Arts Project (GAP), In-School Electives (ISE), the Teen Mural Program (TMP), Silkscreening With A Goal (SWAG), and several Community Programs (CP).

Trash to Art: During the day's share-out, EPAA Junior and MMAP core student, Exavier R., presents his graffiti piece he produced on the top of a broken - and trashed - desk.

For two hours after school, 27 interested and talented students participated in graffiti, mural, and tshirt design, as well as in Hip Hop dance and rap.  The interest and talent of the EPAA students spoke loudly and the EPAA HEArt program is expected to begin soon this year.

San Francisco Teen Mural Assistants gather with MMAP staff and display their certificates of completion of the Teen Mural Program proudly.

After eight weeks of research and creative expression, the San Francisco Teen Mural Project culminated in a spectacular mural unveiling on Thursday, August 11. In the courtyard of Shih Yu-Lang Central YMCA of San Francisco, over 100 people including the Teen Mural Assistants, friends, family, and members of the San Francisco community gathered to celebrate the teens’ many artistic achievements. In addition to the mural unveiling, the event included dance, Hip Hop performances, spoken word, and t-shirt design.

Two teens performed impressive breakdancing moves to kick off the evening. Four youth then performed a skit that explained the meaning of the mural “Vision: Claiming Our Voice and Building Our Future.” First, they explicated how their use of color and light conveys their vision of a bright future of peace, unity, and justice in San Francisco. Next, the youth explained how images of headphones, light bulbs, and a microphone represent the power of art and technology to turn vision into reality. Lastly, they revealed how the iconic bridge symbolically connects the youth to their communities’ legacies in San Francisco and around the globe.

Teen Mural Assistants from the Hip Hop cohort performed two original songs and a spoken word piece, all of which they wrote and recorded themselves. Through poignant lyrics, the youth articulated the proud love they feel towards their city and their determination to spur positive social change in their community. The energy of the performances left the audience dancing and singing along with the youth.

In addition to the mural, the SF TMA's unveiled positive community minded original songs. Jessielina performs her duet with Jazmine "My City's Beauty (Hello)", which combined a melodic chorus with powerful spoken word verses.

Troy performs his verse in the Hip Hop cohort's second song of the day "App 4 That", a hip hop song that touched on metaphoric applications for positive visions for the community and an end to oppression.

Stephen Deberry, Chief Investment Officer at Kapor Capital and Bronze Investments, was given the honor of being chosen as the keynote speaker by the youth. Earlier in the program he met with the youth and stressed the importance and power technology has over their generation, leaving a lasting impression. Deberry’s words resonated with the youth throughout the program and proved to be highly valuable when it came to creating imagery for the mural and lyrics for the songs. The San Francisco Teen Mural Program extends their greatest gratitude for Stephen Deberry’s contributions and his support throughout the program along with his presence as our keynote speaker at the unveiling.

At the end of the celebration, each teen received a certificate and a bright orange “Vision” t-shirt, designed by the Silkscreening With A Goal (SWAG) cohort. The MMAP staff was proud to congratulate the Teen Mural Assistants and commemorate an inspiring, empowering, and creative summer. Thank you to everyone who came to support our youth!

Youth in GAP gather with MMAP staff to celebrate the completion of the summer project.

The Graffiti Arts Project (GAP) Summer 2011 came to an end on Friday August 5^th as the Mural Music and Arts Project and over one-hundred and seventy five community members gathered at East Palo Alto’s City Hall to view and celebrate the graffiti art completed by East Palo Alto youth this summer. During the eight-week program, thirty GAP participants studied principles of artistic design, practiced spray technique, and learned to use graffiti in positive, responsible ways. In addition to teaching youth to express themselves creatively, the GAP program also engaged youth to connect with their communities and cultural histories. In the program’s culminating project, the young artists completed three graffiti art pieces –“Discover”, “Evolve”, and Connect” — to showcase their new skills and knowledge. At the unveiling event, GAP participants came to the stage to explain the meaning of their artwork and to highlight how each piece incorporates colors and patterns from the Latino, Pacific Islander, and African American artistic traditions, respectively. These three pieces will be displayed for the community at the East Palo Alto Library.

"EVOLVE", one of three graffiti pieces that now is displayed in East Palo Alto's Public Library.

After the artists spoke, Chief Ronald L. Davis, East Palo Alto’s Chief of Police, delivered a powerful keynote address, congratulating GAP participants on their creative achievements and expressing his continued strong support for the program.  The Mural Music and Arts Project and the Police Department have collaborated closely throughout GAP’s five-year history. The Department helps fund the program, ensuring that MMAP can continue to provide the opportunity to East Palo Alto youth each summer, and also allows youth to fulfill community service credit through GAP.  In his speech, Chief Davis encouraged youth to continue making positive contributions to the community, and he emphasized the importance of the police and local youth supporting one another. The Mural Music and Arts project extends its deepest thanks to Chief Davis for speaking at this event and to the Department for its continued partnership in the Graffiti Arts Program.

"DISCOVER", inspiration for the youth to discover their full potential.

After the keynote, each GAP participant received a certificate of program completion and a shirt, designed by the youth themselves. The unveiling celebration ended with joyful dancing to the beat of live music by The Vintage Music Collective.

The MMAP staff was proud to congratulate each of the participants involved in the Graffiti Arts Program and glad to celebrate a summer full of learning, creativity, and community building. Thank you to all who came out to support our youth!

"CONNECT", the third and final graffiti piece created by the youth this summer, representative of the strong inter-cultural connections they made with one another and will continue to make.

]]> http://www.muralmusicarts.org/blog/discovering-the-powerful-evolution-of-our-connections/feed/ 0 http://www.muralmusicarts.org/blog/mmap-is-a-family/ http://www.muralmusicarts.org/blog/mmap-is-a-family/#comments Fri, 05 Aug 2011 15:35:26 +0000 Sarah Woodward http://www.muralmusicarts.org/blog/?p=1920 MMAP is proud to have begun its work in East Palo Alto in 2001. Since this time, community safety has been a central theme in the mission of our program’s work. With tireless collaboration between efforts from law enforcement, community organizations, political entities, and community members, EPA has drastically reduced its crime rate so much so that in 2010, it had its lowest murder rate in 20 years. Unfortunately, in recent weeks, violence has risen, breaking the heart of our community and affecting- directly & indirectly- the youth of EPA.

Last week, MMAP reached out to Alejandro Vilchez, a seasoned veteran at addressing violence in communities like EPA and equipping youth with alternate solutions to combatting violence in their own community, and invited him to the MMAP house to speak with our youth. Not only did “Mr. Homie” educate our TMA’s about the ills of violence to our bodies, our spirits and our communities, but he also empowered us with skills to “fight” this violence in our minds and out. The entire experience was beyond inspirational to both staff and students, and as a MMAP family, we thank Alejandro Vilchez for his time, energy, and his expertise to our cause. One love.

Alejandro Vilchez poses with our TMA's in front of the MMAP house