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| JPYMP's 2004 crew deep into the work. |
For Boston-area artist Alex Cook, public art is more than a worthy fundraising cause; art is his life. He described art as, " the natural voice of us people" and said that " art is the banner of hope for the world."
" I love public art because it is so out there," said Alex. " It is so fun to be interacting with everyone all at once, to be putting ideas of beauty and honesty right there in public spaces" .
It is with this mindset that he created the Jamaica Plain Youth Mural Program in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts. With the creation of this program, Alex has successfully found a way to use his talent and passion for art to help the greater community.
Fiscal partners with Spontaneous Celebrations, the Jamaica Plain Youth Mural Program is a non-profit arts organization that works to connect the community through both the creation and the display of public artwork. Every summer five teenagers are employed to paint murals around the Boston area. These teens are paid to bring color and life back to the city streets.
The program aims to employ a diverse group consisting of various racial, ethnic, and economic backgrounds. The group of artists works toward a common goal of creating a public display of art. Alex explained, " In a situation in which lifestyles and understanding of the world differ greatly, unity can be found through artistic wonder and desire."
With the help of FirstGiving [http://www.firstgiving.comjpymp], enough money has been raised to pay these aspiring artists in their worthy cause. Thanks to the Jamaica Plain Youth Mural Program, these teens will never know the term starving artist.
The money raised through FirstGiving and various other sources is used to fund student and teacher salaries, art supplies, and general administrative services.
As of July 20, 2005, the Jamaica Plain Youth Mural Program had raised more than $12,000 and hopes to meet their goal of $14,000.
Alex found online fundraising to be simpler and less time consuming than his original fundraising methods. In their first month using FirstGiving, the program raised more than $1,300 through their online fundraising page.
In the future, Alex hopes to expand the program and involve more teens and community members. He wants to continue to connect people through art. Alex explaied, " I feel strongly that art can act as a heeler in society, helping people connect and also letting people know that the deep feelings of the heart are being felt by others."
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