Stop Violence Start the Peace!

PLACE Image 1: "Stop Violence Start the Peace" - Paola and Jasmine

Juan - "Eye"

Marianna - "Eye"

This week continued to use the theme of repetition, and started creating a series of images revolving around our core themes.

The floor was open and we have a long list that ranges from the environment, violence, immigration, foreclosure, animal welfare, being homeless, tagging and more.

Here you can see a small sample of the works we created,  and the first in a series of PLACE images.

Over the coming weeks and months we will be developing these themes, refining our ideas and finally bringing our work to the community in some surprising ways. 

Bella - Yellow Thread

Sergio - "Peace"

We are also developing writings with these drawings. As we edit and refine these works we will be posting some really great writings by our blossoming artists.

Arreana"Happy Birthday"

Stay tuned to this blog for more great youth art and literature!

Creating PLACE Project

The 29th Street Green Arts: Creating PLACE Project will help build civil society, promote cultural understanding and model tolerance by engaging residents of the greater 29thStreet area in a series of community dialogues, hands-on design workshops and exhibitions of banners revolving around critical neighborhood issues.

Bella, 14, "Face"

Zepan, 11, "Self Portrait"

This project will start in January 2012. Artistic outcomes of the project will include a series of artistically designed banners that reflect the stories and voices of neighborhood residents. These artworks seek to nurture a larger dialogue revolving around issues of bullying, health, violence, tolerance, stewardship and prosperity.

Juan R., 17 "Untitled"

Over the past several years we have been working on murals. Now we are taking what we have learned to a new audience by creating works that will be displayed as posters, banners and in neighborhood venues.

Xavier, 10, "Dudes hanging out"

Youth Workshops continue every:

Wed. 3:30 - 5
January 11 - May 30
JVC Boys and Girls Club
1935 S. Columbus Blvd.

The teen leadership/ C-Corp group meets from 5 - 6pm.

For more information visit the TAB website: http://tucsonartsbrigade.org/

Fall Workshops and Days of Service

It has been a busy fall for the more than 5o youth muralists in our program. Most of our work has been getting the overpass painted, images touched up and developing writings and drawings related to the overpass mural. Our theme revolves around the concept of changing the overpass and it's meaning, and taking ownership of this small part of the neighborhood.


Tagging is down significantly as youth begin to re-imagine the overpass in terms of a Destination. Arrival - Transformation - Portal  - Destination are the four words we came up with to describe our experience walking over the overpass.

This fall included a number of days of service, including September 11, which included a moving closing circle attended by the relative of a victim of the 911 tragedy.


 Over 200 people have had a hand in this project to date, and the work continues as we build a culture of respect and hope in this area. We also started working on the garden at the Boys and Girls club, spending many hours weeding the abandon garden and removing over 40 bags of weeks - mostly crab grass that had invaded the beds.

Our leadership team is working on final touches and will add and a final sealer so the mural is ready for an unveiling celebration in the early Spring.

Wed. Workshops Begin as our Mural Starts!

911 Day of Arts Service

Inside the Overpass Phase One

On May 11 a group of more than 22 youth and adults from the 29th Street area presented our “Inside the Overpass” proposal to the City Public Art Design Review Committee at the Tucson Pima Arts Council 100 N. Stone in the 1st floor Conference Room. It was a really exciting moment for all of us as students, parents and neighbors fielded questions about the project and our efforts to use the arts to build a healthy and vibrant neighborhood environment through arts and service projects. This was the first time for any of us in presenting to such a distinguished body representing all of Tucson.

This was also our first joint field trip with Our Family Services youth from Shelby’s group and Mannuel’s Video Club from Freedom Park. This is really exciting because we have more than 30 youth in the programs combined, all of whom are involved in making the 29^th Street corridor a better place.

• "These images are a reflections of our hearts." Marianna

The panel was very supportive, asking many questions. There were several highlights to the presentation that came when asked about graffiti. One was when Marianna talked of how these images were coming from the students’ hearts, and reflected their passion for community. Her mom then spoke of the impact this was having in the community at large, and how her kids were influencing other kids. “There is a lot of talk about this project in the school, the kids working on this are really popular and setting a positive example that other kids are starting to respond to.”

Thank you to Alvernon Heights Neighborhood Association for providing us a letter of support for our presentation, and to everyone for making this a great community building moment.

In mid June clean up will begin on the overpass, and we expect the fist mural images to go up by the end of the month.

Phase two of the project will kick off on September 11 with a Day of Service where we will be painting he handrails of the overpass.

New Mural Project Starts April 6

29^th Street Spring Community Mural Project

Inside the Overpass

When: Every Wed. Starting April 6 – June 30

(Every Wed. 3-5pm April 6 – June 29 * PLUS * Every Thurs. 3-5pm June 2 – June 30)

Where: Boys and Girls Club

(1935 S. Columbus Blvd. At the corner of Columbus & 29^th St.)

Who: Limited to Twenty Youth, Ages 10 -17

To Register: Call Corey at the Boys & Girls Club (520) 300-5715

or TAB Mural Arts Program by email at ArtBrigade@aol.com

This fantastic project will tell the amazing stories of youth living in the 29^th Street area.

This is a special FREE program, and students MUST commit to the entire session.