"Paint the World - Ireland"
We wish congratulations and safe travels to three of our apprentices – Kawayne Powell, Jourdan Barnes, and Jasmine McGary, and two of our mentors – Timeka Junius and Turron Patterson as they embark on a journey to Dublin, Ireland! These artists are spending two and a half weeks in Ireland working with artist Jackie Sumell on a project titled A=AGHT

This project was designed to bring youth from New Orleans and Tallaght, Ireland together. “Artists from both cities will develop projects in film, video, photography, sculpture and design, that encourage young participants to explore historic moments, social grievances, racial disparities and individual concerns in order to invent their own place of creative resolve.” If you would like to support our Paint The World program and view upcoming travel opportunities for the YA/YA artists [Click Here]

"A Poetic Seat"
Saturday August 2 marked the culmination of the YA/YA chair competition entitled “A Poetic Seat”. YA/YA apprentices, guild members, and alumni competed against each other in a painted chair competition based on the poetry of Shel Silverstein. The competition was divided into two levels (apprentice and master) although any apprentice could choose to compete on the master level. The chairs were judged by a panel and two winners were chosen. Kawayne Powell, who is an apprentice that chose to compete with the masters, won the master level, and Jourdan Barnes was the winner of the apprentice level. The winners will receive 30% of each chair sale in their category.
[View Chairs]

We would like to thank Deutsch, Kerrigan & Stiles for hosting our the chair exhibit Saturday for White Linen Night, and also send a special thanks to the judges: Echo Olander – Kidsmart, Marie Lamb – Contemporary Arts Center, Luis Colmenares – City Art Studios, Randy Hutchison – Eskew+Dumez+Ripple, –New Orleans Children’s Bureau.



"Painting it Back"


For the past three years, life in the Lower 9th Ward has been scarce, so during the month of July, YA/YA apprentices worked on a community project to bring a little bit of life and color back into the neighborhood. The artists cut out 50 wooden silhouettes of people in different poses doing everyday activities, painted them in bright colors, and placed them throughout the area bringing a sense of life back to the Lower 9th.

The Visual Garden

During the month of June, YA/YA conducted a three-week-long mural training project in partnership with New Orleans Outreach and Ripples of Hope entitled “The Visual Garden”. These murals were designed to create “literary havens” in the alcove spaces underneath two primary interior staircases at Samuel J. Green Charter School. Volunteers with Ripples of Hope came to help paint during the final stages, along with a surprise celebrity volunteer, renowned R&B/POP singer Usher, whose foundation New Look, funded the project.

YA/YA's making Ceramics - Dillard University

Early this summer, eight YA/YA apprentices participated in a five-week long ceramics workshop led by John Barnes, a faculty member of the Dillard University Art Department. YA/YA mentors Monica Tyran and Timeka Junius assisted in leading the workshop that took place at Dillard University. YA/YA artists learned various techniques in creating functional ceramic art and sculptures. The result was comprehensive body of work by each artist that was on exhibit at the Dillard art gallery.