PROJECT DESCRIPTION

In September 2003, Groundswell launched our first year long after school program. TEMA (Teen Empowerment Mural Apprenticeship) is a two semester program designed to provide young people with intensive training in mural making. In the first year of the program the first semester was dedicated to the creation of a collaborative mural, this experience preparing apprentices for the second semester, when they themselves lead a project of their own. The year began with a collaborative mural for the offices of the New York City AIDS Housing Network (NYCAHN). The group went on to create murals in collaboration with a total of six community partners.

The apprentice muralists were first introduced to the history of mural making through slide presentations and then taken on a tour of New York City murals by veteran muralist Janet Braun-Reinitz. NYCAHN (NYC AIDS Housing Network), whose office is close to Groundswell’s, was excited to be the community partner for this project. The group researched NYCAHN, first by finding out about AIDS and HIV, and then through a large public meeting at NYCAHN where TEMA apprentices lead a discussion about what the members would like to see in their mural. The meeting gave the group enough imagery to design the mural. The finished piece was created as a canvas banner and installed at NYCAHN. Jennifer Flynn, co-director of the housing network, said of the mural, "It is the way that we want to present ourselves."