Local Youth add art to Dudley Square

Publish Date: 
Monday, August 27, 2012
Source: 
Boston.Com

By Patrick D. Rosso, Town Correspondent

As Roxbury’s Dudley Square goes through major changes because of development and construction, youth from Roxbury, Dorchester and Mattapan are making sure their community also has vibrant public art along with the new buildings.

 

Eleven students from the Madison Park Development Corporation’s Youth Art Crew, are finishing up their summer working with local artists to create vibrant pieces that not only reflect their peers and the rest of the neighborhood’s youth, but the community as a whole.

 

Over the summer the students, most of who are in high school, installed a mosaic mural in Hibernian Hall, created a banner for National Night Out and created five wood panels that will be installed in front of a vacant Dudley Street lot.

 

“We wanted to give the youth a chance to do something during the summer so they could learn skills and not have idle hands,” said Raymon Pullum, 19, a youth coordinator for Madison Park and a Mattapan resident. “It gives them something they can tell their friends that they did in their own community.”

Although the program pays the students for the work, many were just excited to be working with their friends, making a difference in their neighborhood.

“It’s [the program] pretty great. I get paid for it and it’s fun,” said Mahiri Brooks, 18, of Dorchester. “I mean how many people my age get to have their name on a piece of art work? I think it’s cool.”

The final piece by the students that will be displayed at the vacant lot spells out “Africa to America” and depicts a lion on one panel eventually turning into an eagle on the final panel. Using latex paint and plywood wood panels the mural stretches up to 30-feet in a flowing, colorful fashion.

The design and work was produced by the students with help by local artist Roberto Chao, a Jamaica Plain resident and art teacher in Somerville Public Schools.

“From what I saw pride and team work are the most important things that came out of the program,” said Chao. “The skills they learned are important but it’s also a tough neighborhood and it’s good to get kids from all over together.”

Students were finishing up the murals Wednesday afternoon in the basement of Hibernian Hall, playing music, goofing around and generally having a good time as they added the final touches of paint.

“It’s fun meeting new people instead of doing nothing and hanging out in the streets,” said Emily Silveira, 16, a Roxbury resident. “I’m here getting paid and doing something good for the community.”

The panels should be up on the lot across the street from Hibernian Hall in the next couple of weeks complete with the students' signatures.

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Email Patrick D. Rosso, patrick.d.rosso@gmail.com. Follow him @PDRosso, or friend him on Facebook.